Jammu and Kashmir Pacer Auqib Nabi Called Up to India Squad for Sri Lanka Test Series

Auqib Nabi, key player in Jammu and Kashmir's first Ranji Trophy win, called up to India's Test squad as a replacement for injured Jasprit Bumrah for the Sri Lanka series, alongside Saransh Jain, highlighting patience and consistent performance as their pathway to selection.

Nabi said he always believed that his performances would eventually lead to an India call-up. "Yes, I had expectations. But the mindset of a cricket player should be of performing and that the other people are watching," Nabi told fellow uncapped player Saransh Jain in a video shared by the BCCI. "I knew that I would get the call-up today or tomorrow because when you are doing well for so many years, you are meant to get the returns from the hard work."

Saransh, part of Madhya Pradesh's Ranji Trophy-winning team in 2021-22, also spoke about the patience needed to reach the India team. "You have to have patience in Test cricket and if you want to play Test cricket for India, you have to have patience in that too," the 33-year-old Saransh said. "I made my debut at Ranji Trophy in 2014-15. It's been a long journey. There was a lot of hard work and sacrifices. But I had the belief that one day, I will definitely play for India and for this achievement my family has a big role to play in it."

Both players recalled how they found out about their India selections. Nabi was at the airport when he received the news, while Saransh was driving to the temple.

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