Jammu & Kashmir's cricketing history has witnessed a remarkable milestone as 28-year-old pacer Auqib Nabi set a new record for the most wickets in a single Ranji Trophy season. His 43 wickets surpassed the previous record of 38 wickets held by former J&K captain Parvez Rasool from the 2016-17 season.
This feat is particularly special as it also marks the highest wicket tally by a J&K pacer in over a decade. Nabi eclipsed the previous best set by fast bowler Samiullah Beigh, who had taken 35 wickets in nine matches.
Nabi's record-breaking performance was accompanied by a sensational five-wicket haul against Kerala in the quarter-final. His fiery spell saw him dismantle the opposition's top order, removing Rohan Kunnummal (1), Shoun Roger (0), and Kerala captain Sachin Baby (2) within the first few overs only. He later dismissed Jalaj Saxena (67), Kerala's top scorer. His final figures of 5 for 36 in 19 overs kept Kerala under pressure, restricting them to 200/9 at stumps on Day 2. Nabi also made a vital contribution with 32 reducing Kerala to 200 and leaving them 80 runs behind.