Fast bowler Auqib Nabi becomes the latest Indian player to sign a county deal with Surrey, confirming his availability for the next three Championship matches. Nabi’s short-term deal will see him featuring against Yorkshire, Sussex, and Glamorgan. Auqib Nabi made his County Championship debut against Yorkshire at The Oval on Wednesday, the 2nd of September.
Auqib Nabi’s Enjoys Golden Period in Form
Auqib Nabi has enjoyed his recent stretch of form over the last few months. Recently he aided Jammu and Kashmir in winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title by taking 60 wickets during their campaign, earning him the player of the tournament award. His exceptional performance also earned him a bumper IPL contract in 2026, in which he played five games.
The right-arm bowler from Jammu & Kashmir also represented India A recently, as well as featuring in the senior Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour as Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement. However, Auqib Nabi did not get to make his international debut during the two-match series.
We look forward welcoming Auqib Nabi to the group this week – Alec Stewart
Alec Stewart, the Director of Men’s Cricket at Surrey County Cricket Club, spoke on Auqib’s signing, saying, “With the exceptionally challenging schedule of six games in six weeks, with minimal recovery between matches along with international fixtures, we’ve had to add options to our bowling stocks for the County Championship run in. We look forward to welcoming Auqib to the group this week.”
Speaking on the same, Auqib commented saying, ““It’s an honour to join Surrey, one of the best Clubs in England, I’m looking forward to learning from the group and helping them for the next three matches.”
While Auqib Nabi will be in action for the English county club championship, he is expected to be back in time for India A’s fixture against Australia A, which will start on September 22. A source familiar with the development also revealed India’s secondary purpose behind Auqib Nabi to feature in the Surrey playing XI, stating,
“The main purpose of this stint is also for the Indian team management and selectors to check if Nabi can swing the ball well there in England, as the climate in New Zealand for the Test series will need for him to do that in conducive conditions with the red Kookaburra ball in hand.”
Auqib Nabi’s inclusion in the playing XI also marks the first known instance of three Indians representing the same county side in a first-class match, with his other compatriots being KL Rahul and Mahipal Lomror. The speedster, though, had to toil a lot in the match & took a single wicket against Yorkshire of Kuldeep Yadav & had figures of 33-1 in 15 overs in his maiden outing in County Cricket.
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