Auqib Nabi set for possible county cricket stint as BCCI plans for New Zealand Tests

The Board of Control for Cricket in India is in active talks with English counties to arrange a short-term red-ball contract for pacer Auqib Nabi ahead of India's Test tour of New Zealand in November 2026. The BCCI wants Nabi to play at least two to three county matches in England before the tour gets underway.

Surrey is among the counties in discussions, with former England captain Alec Stewart, who heads the club, engaged in talks with the BCCI over the arrangement. Nabi was named in India's Test squad for the Sri Lanka series earlier but was not given a game in either match. A county stint, if confirmed, would hand him meaningful red-ball preparation before a potential Test debut in New Zealand.

Gurnoor Brar joins North Zone for Duleep semi-final

Nabi was the leading wicket-taker in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy season, finishing with 60 wickets across the campaign. His best bowling figures that season were 7/24, and he delivered seven five-wicket hauls in total, one of which came in the final against Karnataka.

His bowling average of 12.56 in the 2025-26 season underlines the consistency and penetration he brought to every outing. Across the two most recent Ranji Trophy campaigns combined, Nabi has taken 104 wickets, placing him among the most productive pace bowlers in Indian domestic cricket over that period.

Those numbers were enough to draw the attention of the national selection panel, which rewarded him with a place in the Test squad for the Sri Lanka series. His red-ball record at domestic level makes the county move a logical next step in his preparation for international cricket.

Nabi's visa application for England has been submitted, though approval and his exact arrival date in England remain unconfirmed as of August 29, 2026. The county deal itself has not been finalised, with negotiations between the BCCI and Surrey still in progress.

The BCCI's reasoning is straightforward, New Zealand pitches, much like English ones, tend to offer pace bowlers lateral movement off the seam, making county exposure directly relevant to the conditions Nabi would face on the tour. Two to three competitive red-ball games in England would give him a sharper preparation than any net session could provide.

Separately, Gurnoor Brar has linked up with the North Zone squad for the Duleep Trophy semi-final against South Zone, which begins on November 30 at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, forming part of the broader domestic red-ball schedule running alongside these preparations.