“Tremendous injustice”: Sanjay Manjrekar fumes over Auqib Nabi’s snub despite st – Sanjay Manjrekar Slams Auqib Nabi’s Snub for Afghanistan Test

The Snub That Sparked Outrage: Auqib Nabi Ignored Despite Domestic Dominance

The selection of the Indian national cricket team is always a subject of intense debate, but the squad announcement for the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan has triggered exceptional controversy. At the heart of the discussion is the omission of Jammu & Kashmir’s premier fast bowler, Auqib Nabi. Despite putting together one of the most dominant individual bowling campaigns in recent Ranji Trophy history, Nabi failed to find a place not just in the senior squad, but even in the India A setup.

Former Indian international batter Sanjay Manjrekar did not mince his words when reacting to the news. Speaking on a sports podcast, Manjrekar labeled the decision as “ridiculous” and a “tremendous injustice” to a player who has consistently dismantled domestic batting lineups over the last two years.

Sanjay Manjrekar Fumes: “A Tremendous Disrespect” to the Ranji Trophy

Manjrekar expressed deep frustration over how the selection committee handled the squad in the absence of veteran pacers. With spearheads like Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj unavailable or rested, the former batter argued that there was no logical reason to look past the country’s most prolific red-ball bowler.

“I used to like the olden days when tremendous injustice was done. People would come out on the streets with placards and protests,” Manjrekar remarked during the podcast. “Now the outcry is mostly on social media, but this is one non-selection that I just can’t understand.”

He went on to question the very purpose of India’s premier first-class tournament if its top performers are continuously overlooked. “It’s actually ridiculous,” Manjrekar added. “When Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are not playing, whether because they are being rested or for long-term planning, then you might as well not have the Ranji Trophy if performances like these are going to be ignored.”

By the Numbers: Auqib Nabi’s Unstoppable Ranji Trophy Run

The statistics behind Auqib Nabi’s recent first-class campaigns make his exclusion exceptionally difficult to defend. Nabi was the driving force behind Jammu & Kashmir’s historic run, which culminated in the state winning its maiden Ranji Trophy title.

During this championship-winning campaign, Nabi finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, claiming 60 wickets in just 10 matches. His wickets came at an astonishingly low bowling average of 12.56, and he registered 7 five-wicket hauls. Furthermore, Nabi was one of only two bowlers in the entire tournament to record multiple 10-wicket match hauls.

This was far from a one-season wonder. In the preceding Ranji Trophy edition, where Jammu & Kashmir reached the quarterfinals, Nabi was the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, taking 44 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 13.93.

In total, across the last two first-class seasons, Auqib Nabi has taken 104 wickets in 18 matches at an average of 13.14, accompanied by 13 five-wicket hauls. To see such unprecedented consistency in red-ball cricket go unrewarded has left domestic cricket purists incredibly disappointed.

Squad Dynamics and Key Changes for the Afghanistan Test

The one-off Test against Afghanistan, scheduled to begin on June 6, will be hosted at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh. It will mark only the second-ever Men’s International match at the venue, which previously hosted a T20I between India and South Africa in December 2025, as well as two Women’s ODIs between India and Australia in September of the same year.

Aside from Nabi’s omission, the squad announcement brought several other major talking points. In a significant leadership shift, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant was relieved of his vice-captaincy duties, with the role being handed over to KL Rahul.

Workload management and injury concerns saw all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and pacer Mohammed Shami rested. In their place, the selectors handed maiden call-ups to left-arm spinners Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey, alongside fast bowler Gurnoor Brar.

The IPL Factor: Did a Tough T20 Season Cost Nabi His Test Spot?

Many analysts believe Nabi’s exclusion might be linked to his performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Playing for the Delhi Capitals, Nabi endured a difficult white-ball campaign, failing to take a wicket in five matches while conceding runs at an economy rate of over 11 runs per over.

If true, this raises serious concerns about whether franchise T20 cricket is overshadowing first-class achievements when selecting squads for the Test arena. For players like Auqib Nabi, who have dedicated their finest spells to the grueling environment of multi-day domestic cricket, the road to a national cap remains frustratingly elusive despite doing everything required of them on the field.