Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi has earned his first call-up to the Indian senior national team, coming in as a replacement for Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. Bumrah remains sidelined as he continues to recover from a left knee injury picked up during the recent One Day International series against England.
Nabi's selection follows an impressive run in domestic cricket, where the 27-year-old pacer took 104 wickets over the last two Ranji Trophy seasons—including 60 strikes during the 2025–26 campaign to help lead Jammu and Kashmir to their historic maiden title. The seam bowler also featured for India A on their recent tour of Sri Lanka, taking six wickets across two first-class fixtures. Overall, Nabi boasts a formidable first-class record, with 162 wickets in 43 matches at an average of 18.63, including 16 five-wicket hauls.
His inclusion comes at a crucial time for India, who are currently grappling with a growing injury list. Fast bowlers Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy are both ruled out with muscle strains, while Washington Sundar will miss the opening Test with a hamstring issue. Akash Deep also remains sidelined as he recovers from back stress reactions.
The two-match Test series, which forms part of the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship cycle, kicks off at the Galle International Stadium on 15 August before moving to the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo for the second Test on 23 August. Captained by Shubman Gill, India currently sit fifth in the WTC standings with four wins from nine matches and a points percentage of 48.15.
India squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), KL Rahul (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sai Sudharsan (subject to fitness), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Devdutt Padikkal, Saransh Jain, Auqib Nabi.
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