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The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee’s decision to ignore Auqib Nabi, the leading wicket-taker of the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 season, for the one-off Test match against Afghanistan continues to draw criticism from the cricket fraternity. Former Team India captain Dilip Vengsarkar is the latest person to criticize Ajit Agarkar and company.
The former cricketer can’t believe that the cricketer who performed brilliantly throughout the Ranji Trophy season and helped Jammu and Kashmir clinch the title of best bowler in the tournament has been left out of the selection process.
‘What kind of selection is this?’
Dilip Vengsarkar did not hesitate to use some sharp adjectives against the selectors. He said that ignoring Auqib Nabi is no less than injustice to the bowler who took 60 wickets in 10 matches at an impressive average of 12.56 and was also named Player of the Tournament.
The former batsman told The Times of India, “The selectors’ decision to ignore him is absolutely absurd and shocking. What kind of selection is this? It is not acceptable. It is an injustice. Can you imagine the plight of Auqib Nabi right now? He took 60 wickets in the Ranji Trophy. He has worked hard for it and deserves to be ahead of everyone else.”
Auqib Nabi was a wicket-taking machine for Jammu and Kashmir
As J&K sealed their place in the knockout stage, Nabi took his form to the next level. The 29-year-old fast bowler, who is known to mostly swing the ball both ways, took 5 for 54 in the first innings of the final against Karnataka, 9 for 123 in the semi-final against Bengal and 12-110 in the quarter-final against Madhya Pradesh. Auqib Nabi’s 60 wickets included five wickets seven times and four wickets twice.
Despite Nabi’s knack for generating swing, there are concerns about his pace. He is not one of those fast bowlers who can bowl more than 140 balls continuously. However, Dilip Vengsarkar does not agree with the theory that a fast bowler is ignored only because of his pace.
For the former captain, the primary job of a bowler is to take wickets and Nabi did exactly that. He may have lacked pace, but he knows how to get batsmen out.
“You pick a bowler based on his wicket-taking ability. He can bowl at 130 kmph, but the important thing is his wicket-taking ability. This kid has shown tremendous consistency in taking wickets,” the 70-year-old said.
Vengsarkar further said that if there is no performance criteria in domestic cricket, then the Board of Control for Cricket in India needs to abolish it.
BCCI should end domestic cricket: Dilip Vengsarkar
The former cricketer, now a cricket expert, believes, “If domestic cricket performance is not a criteria, then BCCI should abolish domestic cricket.”
Dilip Vengsarkar explains that in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Team India needs someone who can take wickets and Auqib Nabi is the right person for the job.
“It was the ideal time to groom him. When a player is in form, you give him a chance right away. You don’t wait until he loses confidence, fitness or hunger,” he said.
Read more: ‘I won’t be selected under Brendon McCullum, Ben Stokes’: Rahul Dravid’s surprising buzzball decision