Sports

From Baramulla’s Rough Grounds to India’s ODI Squad: The Rise of Auqib Nabi

By Shuvaditya Bose

An inspector at Baramulla railway station questions a visitor’s purpose, illustrating the strict security in the region. The visitor, a journalist, is there to trace the background of Auqib Nabi, a pacer who has been selected for India’s ODI squad against New Zealand. After a brief interrogation, permission is granted to leave.

Seven kilometres from the station, beside a Rashtriya Rifles camp, stands the General Bipin Rawat Stadium, the home of BCC Reds, Nabi’s first club. Zubair Dar, Nabi’s first captain, notes that the ground was built in the 1980s but was closed during the insurgency in 1988 and reopened only in 2016. Nabi’s first coach, Muzaffar Mattoo, recalls practicing near cross‑fire and grenades, describing how the team had to scramble for cover during training.

In 2012, Dar’s team played a match in Nabi’s village. Nabi, a Class 8 student, took four wickets and scored 55 runs, impressing Dar who offered him a place in Baramulla’s only JKCA‑affiliated club. Nabi’s father, a teacher who wanted his son to become a doctor, was initially unaware of his son’s presence on the field and had to be convinced to allow him to join.

Nabi quickly became a star for Baramulla. He made his first turf‑wicket appearance in a 50‑over game in Srinagar at Sher‑i‑Kashmir Stadium. During the match, he fell flat on the pitch on his first delivery because he had not worn spikes. Mattoo gave him shoes, and the pair exchanged shoes after each over. Nabi’s talent continued to grow, and he broke into the Jammu & Kashmir Under‑19 side.

He scored 60‑odd runs in his second game against Punjab, securing the team’s first U‑19 win over them, and then scored 105 against Saurashtra in Rajkot, taking many wickets. These performances earned him a place in a specialised pace‑bowling camp run by the BCCI under Glenn McGrath, with Mohammed Shami and Varun Aaron also involved.

A letter inviting Nabi to the camp reached the JKCA office, sparking celebrations in Baramulla. Nabi initially resisted the idea of traveling with the team, preferring to go alone to Chennai. Persistent efforts convinced him to attend, marking a turning point in his career. Under McGrath’s coaching, Nabi refined his bowling fundamentals, studied video analysis, and adopted a professional regime covering nutrition, fitness, lifestyle, training, and fast‑bowling mechanics.

Nabi has played only one international match, but his impact is already felt in the region. To nurture more talent, the Baramulla district administration has built an all‑weather nets facility costing Rs 65 lakh, allowing children to practice during winter. Dar credits Nabi’s success for revitalising cricket in the area, which had been stagnant for nearly 30 years.