Why Auqib Nabi’s IPL debut could be his ticket to India

“I’ve been tracking him for a while — actually for the last two-and-a-half years. He was working with a fast bowler who has worked with me at Sunrisers Hyderabad, so I have known him from those days. He has been very impressive,” he told reporters in the capital on Monday.

A big-money contract in the world’s biggest franchise league was recognition for what he had done at domestic level. But as far as his greater ambitions go, it is only half the job done. Performances in the IPL will dictate whether he can take advantage of his form peaking just as the national team looks to strengthen its fast-bowling lineup.

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India have struggled to find options beyond the Jasprit Bumrah–Mohammed Siraj axis in the longest format — especially since the selectors appear to have closed the door on Mohammed Shami. The roster of pacers tried in India, England and Australia have shown faults in both consistency and fitness. As the standout performer on the domestic circuit over the past few years, Nabi is uniquely placed to fill that hole. But why will he be judged on IPL performances for a Test berth?

Recent history suggests that is simply how it works. It may be a conflation of formats, but the IPL has become the breeding ground for Indian talent regardless of red-ball or white-ball cricket. Rarely have the selectors backed players with strong domestic records who have not delivered in the IPL; and when they have, results have been mixed. Facing high-quality opposition under the glare of millions — especially as a fast bowler in a competition loaded in favour of batters — has become the most reliable test of whether a player has the quality and temperament for the highest level.

On paper, Nabi has the strengths to pass it. The 29-year-old is at his most dangerous with the new ball. He may not be the quickest but his ability to swing it both ways makes him difficult to read, and he can generate movement even from the most unresponsive surfaces. Badani expects him to do the same in T20s. “I see him taking wickets up top — very clear on his role for us,” he said. “He will be an option in the death overs too. If you look at his white-ball record, it has gone under the radar. He has the skills.”

That record is not quite his red-ball pedigree. In 34 T20s with J&K he averages 21.81 with the ball. In this year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy he took 15 wickets in seven games and chipped in with the bat too. But the IPL is a higher ceiling to breach — and so is facing the spotlight for the first time.

“I would like to answer by saying no,” Badani said, when asked whether Nabi would feel the pressure of his hefty price tag. “But we have seen in the past that players do get affected by it. It is up to the individual.”

The glitz of the IPL is a long way from tennis ball cricket in Baramulla. But Nabi, at 29 and in the form of his life, will spend the next few months trying to prove he is made for even greater things.