There has been a lot of chatter over the BCCI not selecting Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi for the upcoming one-off Test match against Afghanistan. The pacer was brilliant in domestic cricket and was even bought by Delhi Capitals for a huge amount of Rs 8.4 crore ahead of IPL 2026. He was the top wicket-taker in the Ranji Trophy season and even played a big role in guiding his team to a historic title. Former India pacer Dodda Ganesh took to social media to express his disappointment as Nabi missed out on selection and completely rejected the explanation given by chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
“No amount of justification can convince me of the non-selection of Auqib Nabi. Poor guy bowled his heart out for two seasons and picked 100+ #RanjiTrophy wickets only to be ignored for someone who had played just two games this season,” Ganesh posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
No amount of justification can convince me of the non-selection of Aquib Nabi. Poor guy bowled his heart out for two seasons and picked 100+ #RanjiTrophy wickets only to be ignored for someone who had played just 2 games this season.
Please stop this nonsensical justifications:…
— Dodda Ganesh | ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ (@doddaganesha) May 22, 2026
“Please stop these nonsensical justifications: Hit-the-deck bowler, hit-the-head bowler, hence picked. While I can understand they are special skill sets, it can’t be rewarded without decent game time by ignoring someone with unprecedented performances for seasons. I’m afraid a wrong message has been sent out to the youngsters who are giving their heart and soul in the #RanjiTrophy,” he added.
Nabi took a combined 104 wickets in the last two Ranji Trophy seasons, but he was ignored for the Afghanistan Test and instead, the selectors went with Punjab’s uncapped fast bowler Gurnoor Brar as a back-up option for Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.
Earlier, Agarkar explained the reason behind not including Nabi in the squad.
“Someone who has had not just this season, but done well last season. There is always a chat around that. You do not necessarily pick a lot of seamers when you pick a Test team in India. And he was close,” Agarkar said.
“But at this point, we have gone with the three that we have picked. But there was certainly a chat around that. There is no doubt. He has had some incredible performances for Jammu & Kashmir,” he added.
Featured Video Of The Day
Delhi vs Mumbai IPL 2026: Fans Flood Arun Jaitley Stadium for High-Voltage Clash
Topics mentioned in this article