The Indian Selection Committee has announced the India A squad for the much-awaited home series against Australia A on Wednesday, September 9. However, the Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi has once again been ignored by the national selectors for the Australia A series.
India A is all set to host Australia A in the two multi-day matches and three one-day games, with all the action set to take place in Puducherry. This series will give several promising Indian players a big chance to impress the selectors and push their case for the senior national team.
Auqib Nabi left out yet again for Australia A series
With Australia A providing strong opposition, the matches are expected to be an important test for India’s emerging stars. However, Auqib Nabi has missed out on the India A squad for the multi-day matches, and the BCCI has not provided any reasoning behind the move.
But a journalist claimed that the Jammu & Kashmir pacer has been ignored for India A selection because he is set to play for Jammu & Kashmir in the upcoming Irani Cup 2026.
He posted on his social media handle, “Auqib Nabi has not been included in the India ‘A’ squad for Australia ‘A’ multi-day matches because he will be playing in the #IraniCup for J&K.”
Auqib Nabi has not been included in the India ‘A’ squad for Australia ‘A’ multi-day matches because he will be playing in the #IraniCup for J&K.
— Mohsin Kamal (@64MohsinKamal) September 9, 2026
Auqib Nabi prioritises Jammu and Kashmir ahead of India A opportunity
It is all but confirmed that Auqib Nabi is set to join the Jammu & Kashmir squad for the upcoming Irani Cup. Nabi is currently in England with Surrey and is expected to return to India before the Australia A series. However, Nabi will take a short break before joining the J&K team.
The seasoned fast bowler is expected to be available for the Irani Cup clash against the Rest of India from October 1 to 5 at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar. Nabi has taken the call because of the importance of the Irani Cup for Jammu and Kashmir cricket.
They are the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy champions and now aim to add another prestigious one to their cabinet in the domestic cricket calendar. The Irani Cup 2026 is also significantly special because a big game is returning to Srinagar after several decades, and Nabi wants to help his team win the trophy. Amid this, Jasprit Bumrah-Harshit Rana selection: Ex-India star questions double standards.
A source close to the development was quoted as saying, “Auqib is set to play the Irani Cup for J&K,” by Kashmir Sports. This match has a lot of significance for Jammu & Kashmir, and given how instrumental he was in helping J&K win the Ranji Trophy, it was felt that it would be better for him to play the Irani Cup rather than the India A series.”
Schedule clash forces Auqib Nabi to skip Australia A series
Nabi’s selection for the Australia A series was impacted because of the schedule conflict. India A will play two four-day matches against Australia A in Puducherry, with the first from September 22 to 25 and the second from September 29 to October 2.
The second game will clash with the Irani Cup, which starts in Srinagar on October 1. Although Nabi could have played the first Australia A match after returning from England, it would have given him very little time to recover before the Irani Cup. So, it was decided that Nabi would skip the Australia A series and take a short break after his England stint before the Irani Cup.