In the Duleep Trophy 2025–26 quarterfinals, North Zone and East Zone faced off, but it was fast bowler Aaqib Nabi of Jammu and Kashmir who made headlines rather than Arshdeep Singh or Harshit Rana of Punjab. Everyone was captivated by his outstanding performance.
In four balls, four wickets
When Nabi claimed four wickets in four balls in the 53rd over, it was the true turning point of the game. He sent the remaining batsmen to the pavilion one by one after blowing Virat Singh’s stumps. He became just the fifth Indian bowler to take four wickets in four balls in first-class cricket with this remarkable accomplishment.
contribution using both the bat and the ball
Nabi’s performance went beyond only bowling. He also scored 44 runs in 33 balls on the first day, including two sixes and four fours. North Zone reached 405 runs thanks to his innings. He also demonstrated his increased self-assurance both bowling and batting.
Ranji to Duleep Trophy journey
After five years, Nabi guided Jammu and Kashmir to the knockout stages with 44 wickets in the 2024–25 Ranji season. In addition to dismissing international batters like Shivam Dube, Shreyas Iyer, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, he claimed six wickets against a formidable squad like Mumbai. He won the Duleep Trophy as a result of this effort.
From a little town to great goals!
Nabi, a native of Baramulla, Kashmir, has a father who works as a government school teacher. Nabi has always wanted to play for India, even though there aren’t many facilities. “If you want to play for India, hard work is more important than resources,” he says.
