Uncapped pacer Auqib Nabi steps in for injured Jasprit Bumrah

Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi has earned his first call-up to the Indian senior squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka. He enters the setup as a direct replacement for premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who remains sidelined after failing to recover from a left knee injury sustained during the recent ODI series in England.

Selectors picked the 27-year-old right-arm pacer following extraordinary runs in domestic cricket. Nabi grabbed 104 wickets over the last two Ranji Trophy seasons, including a stunning 60-wicket haul in the 2025-26 campaign that powered Jammu and Kashmir to their historical maiden title. He also featured for India A on their recent tour to Sri Lanka, picking up six wickets across two first-class fixtures. Across his overall First-Class career of 43 matches, he boasts 162 wickets at an impressive average of 18.63, featuring 16 five-wicket hauls and four ten-wicket match hauls.

Injury Woes Hit Indian pace Unit

Medical issues have forced multiple changes in the national setup. Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy are currently out due to hamstring and quadriceps injuries. All-rounder Washington Sundar will skip the opening fixture with a hamstring issue, while pacer Akash Deep stays unavailable due to back stress recovery. This series carries huge weight for India in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle. Led by captain Shubman Gill, the national side sits fifth in the standings with four wins and four losses across nine matches, holding a points percentage of 48.150%.

Action begins at Galle International Stadium on August 15, before moving to the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on August 23. Both games start at 10:00 AM IST.

Updated India Test Squad

Shubman Gill (C), KL Rahul (VC), 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.

​​​​​​​WIth Inputd from Agency Threads and Image courtesy: ANI