Gambhir explains why India gave Auqib Nabi his ODI debut in series-deciding match

Auqib Nabi, the Jammu and Kashmir swing bowler, made his ODI debut for India in the second match of the three-game series against West Indies at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on September 30, 2026. Nabi replaced all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy in the playing eleven. India held a 1-0 series advantage after winning the first ODI at Thiruvananthapuram by eight wickets, with the second fixture still offering meaningful stakes.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir outlined the strategic thinking behind the timing of Nabi's debut. Rather than wait for the third and final match, which would have been a dead rubber if India won the second game, Gambhir chose to introduce the 25-year-old bowler when the series remained contested and pressure remained high.

"We could have given Auqib a chance in the next match too when it's a dead rubber, but in a dead rubber, you don't have that pressure which comes with the pressure of winning a series. And we all know that the World Cup is all about pressure. Cricket isn't going to change like that, only the pressure will be different because the World Cup comes once in four years, so we want to put bowlers under pressure," Gambhir said on Star Sports.

Nabi's domestic form and Reddy's role

Gambhir explained that introducing Nabi in a match with genuine consequences was far more valuable than a dead-rubber appearance. The head coach emphasised that World Cup cricket demands players to perform under intense pressure, and bilateral series offered the ideal environment to test emerging talent in such conditions.

"For example, Gurnoor [Brar]. Having Gurnoor bowl in the first 10 overs, bowling at the death, I know people will talk about his analysis, but the more he bowls in tough conditions, in tough situations, the better it is for Indian cricket. Because you can have him bowl in the middle overs and get good analysis or good stats for him, make him bowl defensively, but the more we expose them at such times, the better it is for Indian cricket," he added.

Nabi's selection came on the back of an outstanding domestic season. In the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy, he finished as the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 60 wickets in 17 innings at an average of 12.65, a performance that directly contributed to Jammu and Kashmir claiming their maiden Ranji Trophy title. Across first-class cricket overall, Nabi has taken 170 wickets in 45 matches, while his List A record stands at 56 wickets from 36 games.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, the player Nabi replaced, had featured in the first ODI at Thiruvananthapuram. Reddy bowled five overs in that match and took one wicket while conceding 45 runs. His inclusion in the squad reflected India's broader plans to develop depth in the all-rounder position for future tournaments.