Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi made his ODI debut for India against the West Indies in Guwahati after captain Shubman Gill won the toss
KL Rahul handed Nabi his maiden cap, bringing the swing bowler into the XI in place of Nitish Kumar Reddy as a pace-bowling all-rounder option.
The debut comes ahead of his first-class appearance with the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching, as India looks to seal the series
Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi has made his ODI debut for India in the second match against West Indies at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Wednesday. India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bowl first, and Nabi comes in for all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy.
KL Rahul handed Nabi his maiden India cap before the toss, and his teammates greeted him with warm hugs. Mohammed Siraj stayed on the bench, while Naman Dhir kept his place in the XI.
The selection is part of India's search for a pace-bowling option who can also bat lower down the order, with Harshit Rana unavailable and Hardik Pandya not in the squad. Nabi fits the profile. He is known for controlling the new ball and swinging it both ways, and he can add useful runs at the tail.
The debut arrives in an unusual order. Nabi had been part of the squad for the Sri Lanka Tests, yet he gets his first India cap in the 50-over format before playing a Test. His first-class record is stronger than his List A numbers, with 170 wickets in 45 first-class matches against 56 wickets in 36 List A games.
The timing also matters for India. With the 2027 ODI World Cup less than a year away, the team is using the series to test its bench, and India will look to seal the three-match series in Guwahati. They have won 11 of their last 12 ODIs against West Indies.
India Vs West Indies 2nd ODI: Toss Update
India have won the toss and have opted to bowl first.
India Vs West Indies 2nd ODI: Playing XIs
West Indies: John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope(w/c), Amir Jangoo, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Keemo Paul, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Jayden Seales, Vitel Lawes
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul(w), Naman Dhir, Ravindra Jadeja, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna
