Abid Bhat

 

 

"You play with so many cricket stars. Why don't you take selfies with them?"

Bilal Ahmad Dar once asked his young cousin, Auqib Nabi.

Auqib smiled and replied: "One day I will reach a place where they will want to take selfies with me."

Years later, that prediction has come true.

On Monday, the 29-year-old all-rounder became the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to earn an India Test call-up after replacing Jasprit Bumrah in the squad for the two-match series against Sri Lanka, which starts on 15 August.

For a region where conflict, harsh winters and limited infrastructure have long restricted sporting opportunities, Auqib's selection is being seen as a landmark moment.

Raised in a small village in Baramulla district, Auqib grew up playing on local grounds with little infrastructure and few opportunities. His father, Ghulam Nabi Dar, a schoolteacher, initially wanted him to concentrate on academics and become a doctor.

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"There was no scope in cricket. We used to think playing sport was a waste of time, so I insisted that Auqib focused on his studies," Ghulam says.

But Auqib's persistence eventually changed his father's mind.

"After seeing his passion for cricket, I accepted it. I realised that, as a parent and a teacher, I shouldn't force him to do something he didn't want to do. I started supporting him."

Auqib's childhood friend, Junaid Dar, remembers growing up in an environment where professional cricket barely seemed possible.

"Auqib was obsessed with cricket from childhood. I used to ask him, 'Why are you doing all this? There's no future in it.' We came from a place where there was no concept of playing sport professionally and hardly any infrastructure."

To pursue his dream, Auqib regularly travelled around 70km (43 miles) to Srinagar to practise on proper cricket pitches. He did not even own a pair of spike shoes when he attended his first cricket trials.

But his work ethic never changed, his cousin Bilal says.

"Auqib is very hardworking and consistent. He knows how to fight obstacles and make a way for himself.

"He would wake up early to go to the gym and then practise for the rest of the day. He did that almost every day for 10 years."

NurPhoto via Getty Images)

His breakthrough came in 2020 when he made his Ranji Trophy (India's top domestic tournament) debut for Jammu and Kashmir, taking a five-wicket haul against Jharkhand.

Former India all-rounder Parvez Rasool, Jammu and Kashmir's first international cricketer and Auqib's long-time captain, says one quality always stood out.

"I have followed Auqib's progress for a long time, and what stands out about him is his work ethic and discipline."

Success, however, did not come overnight. Auqib claimed 44 wickets during the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season, finishing as the competition's leading fast bowler, but remained largely outside the national conversation.

"When you do well but don't get recognition, it hurts," his father says.

"But we should never lose hope. Hope is what keeps the world intact. I always believed his time would come."

It did.

The following season, Auqib produced one of the finest bowling campaigns in recent Ranji Trophy history, taking 60 wickets in 10 matches to finish as the tournament's leading wicket-taker and help Jammu and Kashmir win their maiden Ranji Trophy title after a wait of 67 years.

NurPhoto via Getty Images

Those performances earned him an 84m rupees (£730,000; $982,000) Indian Premier League (IPL) contract with Delhi Capitals. Although opportunities in the IPL were limited, his red-ball exploits had already caught the attention of India's selectors.

For Rasool, Auqib's Test call-up carries significance far beyond one player.

"Playing Test cricket is the ultimate dream for any cricketer. It was my dream too. Seeing Auqib earn that call-up fills me with immense pride.

"In a way, it feels like a dream many of us in Jammu and Kashmir carried has finally been realised through him. It is a historic moment not just for Auqib and his family, but for cricket across the region."

He believes Auqib's journey is remarkable not just because he reached the Indian team, but because of where he came from.

"Making it to the Indian team is incredibly difficult for any player, but the challenge is even greater when you come from Jammu and Kashmir. For years, we have had limited infrastructure, fewer opportunities and many obstacles that players from other parts of the country don't necessarily face.

"To reach this level, you need exceptional consistency, mental strength and the determination to keep believing in yourself. Auqib has shown all of those qualities, which is why this achievement is so special."

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Jammu and Kashmir became affiliated with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in 1957, yet the region still has only two major cricket stadiums, both with limited facilities. Long winters, heavy snowfall and decades of conflict have further slowed cricket's development.

"This is a landmark moment for cricket in Jammu and Kashmir," Rasool says.

"For a long time, people questioned whether someone from our region could make it to India's Test team. Auqib has answered that question. His selection shows players from Jammu and Kashmir can compete with the best if they are given the opportunity."

He believes Auqib's journey will inspire a new generation.

"When I started playing, there weren't many role models from Jammu and Kashmir. Today, things are changing.

"Auqib becoming the first player from the region to earn an India Test call-up will give countless youngsters the belief that they can dream big too. His journey proves that no matter where you come from or what challenges you face, hard work and perseverance can take you to the highest level."

Back in Baramulla, Ghulam Nabi now finds himself recognised everywhere he goes.

"People come up to me, hug me and say, 'This is Auqib's father.'

"It makes me immensely proud."

 

SOURCE/AUTHOR : BBC NEWS/Mohsin Kamal, Cricket writer