NEW DELHI: As Jammu and Kashmir prepares for their first Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka in Hubballi, fast bowling spearhead Aqib Nabi remains the calmest presence in a dressing room filled with nerves.
The player from Sheri village in Baramulla has been the driving force behind J&K’s dream this season.When J&K take the field on Tuesday, expectations will once again rest on Nabi’s shoulders. He has taken 55 wickets from nine matches this season – the second highest tally – at an impressive average of 12.72. Bowling coach P Krishnakumar spoke about the shy bowler’s rise to a dominant force.
Indian fans in Ahmedabad react to loss to South Africa | T20 World Cup
“If you look at his record, he has taken 199 wickets in 40 matches.
I have been with him for the last three years and he has taken 99 wickets in the last two seasons. In this season, he has taken more than 50 wickets so far, which shows that his skill level has gone to a different level now because he knows how to move the ball, bowl on different pitches and against different batsmen. “It is not a one-day process – it took almost a year to develop and I started in the first year when I joined the Jammu and Kashmir team,” Krishnakumar told IANS.
A fan of Dale Steyn, Nabi made his Ranji debut in 2020 but has flourished in the past two seasons. Krishnakumar credited his bowling as the foundation for his success.“As you can see, he has a very, very good movement… If you compare it and look at it from a biomechanical perspective, his action is perfect… With the swing and contact that he has, it becomes very difficult for hitters to run against the slugger.”The transformation took relentless effort.“The first year I was with him, it was all about the process… He threw a thousand balls the first year to develop his skills, perfect his wrist position, his backspin… It took almost a year to change it,” he said.Nabi’s tally of nine wickets against Bengal in the semi-final, coupled with a crucial 42 with the bat, underscored his all-round impact. He also produced career best figures of 7-24 against Rajasthan and played a key innings against Delhi.“Aqib has been fantastic as taking 99 wickets in the last two seasons is unbelievable… I am sure he will definitely get the nod in some of the upcoming Test series,” Krishnakumar said.Calling for national recognition, he added, “As a coach, I feel he should be given a chance when he performs… Taking almost 100 wickets in two years – what do you want as a player? … If someone is performing there, I think he should definitely join the team.”With Karnataka’s star-studded line-up waiting in the final, Krishnakumar believes the occasion will not change Nabi.“The best thing about Naby is that he is very calm in his mind… If he gets six wickets, he is still the same and that is very important,” he said.For Nabi, who once trained without proper facilities, the final is another step in an extraordinary journey – but his focus remains firmly on bringing glory to Jammu and Kashmir.