Auqib Nabi’s First Surrey Wicket Comes Against A Familiar India Face | WATCH

Auqib Nabi’s first outing in County Championship cricket has already produced a memorable moment for the Jammu and Kashmir pacer. Playing for Surrey against Yorkshire at The Oval, Nabi claimed his maiden wicket for the English county and the dismissal came against none other than his India teammate Kuldeep Yadav.

Nabi, who joined Surrey for a short three-match County Championship stint, had gone wicketless on the opening day despite bowling 11 economical overs for 25 runs. Yorkshire eventually reached 133/7 after a rain-affected first day, with Kuldeep Yadav unbeaten overnight.

The second day brought Nabi his breakthrough as he removed Kuldeep, giving the Indian seamer his first wicket in Surrey colours. The moment was particularly significant given that both players had recently been part of India’s Test setup and are now using county cricket to gain valuable experience in English conditions.

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Nabi’s Rise From J&K Cricket To India Test Call-Up

Nabi’s Surrey stint comes at an important stage of his rapid rise. The 29-year-old was recently handed his maiden India Test call-up after being named as Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement for the Sri Lanka series. However, he remained on the bench for both Tests and is still waiting for his international debut.

His selection was reward for an extraordinary domestic season. Nabi finished the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy campaign with 60 wickets at an average of just 12.56, playing a major role in Jammu and Kashmir’s historic maiden title triumph. Across the last two Ranji seasons, he has taken more than 100 wickets, firmly putting himself into India’s Test bowling conversation.

Now, county cricket offers Nabi another opportunity to make his case. His three-match spell with Surrey is also expected to help India assess how effectively he can exploit movement and swing in English conditions ahead of the Test tour of New Zealand.