In a second that captured the essence of Jammu and Kashmir’s fairytale Ranji Trophy 2025-26 marketing campaign, quick bowler Auqib Nabi produced a shocking supply to take away star batter KL Rahul on the stroke of lunch on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy closing in opposition to Karnataka on the KSCA Stadium on Thursday. The prized wicket left the eight-time champions reeling at 35/1, nonetheless 549 runs behind J&Okay’s imposing first-innings whole of 584.
Auqib Nabi shocked KL Rahul with an absolute magnificence
After J&Okay posted a mammoth 584 of their first innings, courtesy of Shubham Pundir’s 121 and half-centuries from 5 different batters, Nabi turned his consideration to dismantling Karnataka’s star-studded batting lineup The 29-year-old right-arm pacer, who has been the cornerstone of J&Okay’s historic season, delivered a second of magic simply earlier than the lunch interval .
Bowling a skidy back-of-a-length supply that straightened after pitching, Nabi induced a faint edge from Rahul’s bat, which was safely taken by wicketkeeper Kanhaiya Wadhawan. Whereas the on-field umpire initially declined the loud attraction, J&Okay captain Paras Dogra promptly reviewed the choice. UltraEdge confirmed a transparent spike, and what adopted was utter jubilation within the J&Okay camp as the massive display displayed ‘out.’
Rahul, who had seemed largely untroubled till that time, managed 13 runs off 39 balls with two boundaries. The dismissal left Karnataka at 27/1 in 11.2 overs, and so they crawled to 35/1 by lunch, nonetheless dealing with a monumental deficit .
The wicket was no fluke however the end result of a sustained interval of stress from Nabi. Proper from his first over, the pacer bowled tantalizing traces, troubling Rahul repeatedly and beating his bat on a number of events .
In his second over, Nabi delivered what commentators described as a “peach” – a supply that swung away sharply, fully opening up Rahul as his proper leg uprooted from its place . The stay weblog from India Right now captured the second: “Peach! A contact fuller, exterior off, shaping away a shade. KL Rahul seems to be to flick it however will get crushed all finally ends up. What a supply from Auqib Nabi.”
Right here’s the video:
Massive wicket of KL Rahul 🔥
🎥 Watch Auqib Nabi’s supply that gave J&Okay the huge breakthrough and a vital early wicket within the #RanjiTrophy Closing!
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/G0ytZLEyNB@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/y92jjuPebT
— BCCI Home (@BCCIdomestic) February 26, 2026
Nabi’s figures of 3-2-3-0 in his opening spell mirrored the stranglehold he maintained on the Karnataka openers, with Mayank Agarwal and Rahul compelled right into a watchful strategy in opposition to disciplined traces and motion.
The IPL connection: Future teammates turn out to be foes
Including an intriguing subplot to the competition is the truth that each Nabi and Rahul will share the dressing room when the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 commences on March 26. Delhi Capitals (DC) dished out INR 8.40 crore for Nabi within the public sale, making him the most costly Kashmir participant in IPL historical past.
The irony of dismissing a future teammate was not misplaced on observers. Nabi’s potential to bother Rahul with the brand new ball showcased precisely why the Capitals invested closely within the pacer, who has now taken his season’s tally to a unprecedented 56 wickets at a median underneath 13.
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Nabi’s spectacular efficiency with the ball
This efficiency is merely the newest chapter in what has been a historic season for Nabi. The 29-year-old started his home marketing campaign with a bang, taking a double hat-trick on his Duleep Trophy debut Within the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal in opposition to Madhya Pradesh, he claimed a sensational 12-wicket match haul to information J&Okay to the semifinals for the primary time.
He adopted that with 9 wickets within the semifinal in opposition to Bengal, together with a five-wicket haul within the first innings, incomes him the Participant of the Match award.
Additionally READ: Meet Auqib Nabi – The Jammu & Kashmir speedster who drove his workforce to a historic maiden Ranji Trophy closing
