The Jammu and Kashmir’s cricketer, Auqib Dar Nabi, after a long period of dominating the domestic circuit has finally been rewarded. Nabi was participating in the IPL 2026 mini auction which took place in Abu Dhabi where he had a base price of 30 lakhs, and was picked up by the Delhi Capitals for 8.4 crores.
The Axar Patel-led team had to engage in bidding with other franchises such as the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Sunrisers Hyderabad, but at the end of the day, they managed to get the player after a very close fight.
Auqib Nabi’s journey to IPL stardom began in the streets of Baramulla
The J&K-born Nabi’s rise from his humble beginnings is especially remarkable. He spent his childhood in Baramulla, and there he developed his abilities in very limited spaces and on hilly terrain, far from the comforts of the modern world.
It is true that the hard training that he went through in the early stages of his career has now paid off in terms of his control and ability to get movement with the new ball, which are the very qualities that make him an exciting addition to the Delhi Capitals who are eyeing to win their first IPL title.
Nabi’s marvelous run in the domestic circle pays off
the right-arm medium pacer has indeed been in great form when it comes to his phenomenal run in the domestic circle. Just before the IPL auction, he made all the team managements take notice of him by taking 15 wickets in 7 matches in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at an economy rate of 7.41, including very impressive figures of 4/16 against Bihar.
Nabi was not only limited to the twenty-over format but also proved his incredible talent in the premier domestic tournament Ranji Trophy 2025-26. He took 29 wickets in 9 innings with 3 five-wicket hauls and a breathtaking 7/24 against Rajasthan, which earned Jammu and Kashmir a place in the knockout stage.
His selection in the lucrative league makes him the third fast bowler from the Jammu and Kashmir area, after Umran Malik and Yudhvir Singh Charak, to play in the IPL.