Overview
- India’s one-off Test squad for the June 6 match in New Chandigarh, announced May 27, confirmed that Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi was not included in the 15-man side.
- Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar called the exclusion “ridiculous” and said it felt like a direct affront to the Ranji Trophy as a pathway to Test selection.
- Nabi ended the 2025–26 Ranji Trophy as the tournament’s top wicket-taker with 60 wickets and was named Player of the Tournament after taking 104 wickets across the last two seasons.
- Media outlets have pointed to Nabi’s poor IPL 2026 form—no wickets in five matches and an economy above 11 for Delhi Capitals—as a possible factor, while selectors have not published a detailed rationale.
- The decision highlights a broader debate about selection criteria in India, where officials must now balance red-ball domestic performance, short-term white-ball form and workload management of senior fast bowlers.