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In a moment that captured the essence of Jammu and Kashmir’s fairytale Ranji Trophy 2025-26 campaign, fast bowler Auqib Nabi produced a stunning delivery to remove star batter KL Rahul on the stroke of lunch on Day 3 of the Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka at the KSCA Stadium on Thursday. The prized wicket left the eight-time champions reeling at 35/1, still 549 runs behind J&K’s imposing first-innings total of 584.
Auqib Nabi stunned KL Rahul with an absolute beauty
After J&K posted a mammoth 584 in their first innings, courtesy of Shubham Pundir’s 121 and half-centuries from five other batters, Nabi turned his attention to dismantling Karnataka’s star-studded batting lineup The 29-year-old right-arm pacer, who has been the cornerstone of J&K’s historic season, delivered a moment of magic just before the lunch interval .
Bowling a skidy back-of-a-length delivery that straightened after pitching, Nabi induced a faint edge from Rahul’s bat, which was safely taken by wicketkeeper Kanhaiya Wadhawan. While the on-field umpire initially declined the loud appeal, J&K captain Paras Dogra promptly reviewed the decision. UltraEdge confirmed a clear spike, and what followed was utter jubilation in the J&K camp as the big screen displayed ‘out.’
Rahul, who had looked largely untroubled until that point, managed 13 runs off 39 balls with two boundaries. The dismissal left Karnataka at 27/1 in 11.2 overs, and they crawled to 35/1 by lunch, still facing a monumental deficit .
The wicket was no fluke but the culmination of a sustained period of pressure from Nabi. Right from his first over, the pacer bowled tantalizing lines, troubling Rahul repeatedly and beating his bat on multiple occasions .
In his second over, Nabi delivered what commentators described as a “peach” – a delivery that swung away sharply, completely opening up Rahul as his right leg uprooted from its place . The live blog from India Today captured the moment: “Peach! A touch fuller, outside off, shaping away a shade. KL Rahul looks to flick it but gets beaten all ends up. What a delivery from Auqib Nabi.”
Here’s the video:
Big wicket of KL Rahul 🔥
🎥 Watch Auqib Nabi’s delivery that gave J&K the massive breakthrough and a crucial early wicket in the #RanjiTrophy Final!
Updates ▶️ https://t.co/G0ytZLEyNB@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/y92jjuPebT
— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) February 26, 2026
Nabi’s figures of 3-2-3-0 in his opening spell reflected the stranglehold he maintained on the Karnataka openers, with Mayank Agarwal and Rahul forced into a watchful approach against disciplined lines and movement.
The IPL connection: Future teammates become foes
Adding an intriguing subplot to the contest is the fact that both 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 in the auction, making him the most expensive Kashmir player in IPL history.
The irony of dismissing a future teammate was not lost on observers. Nabi’s ability to trouble Rahul with the new ball showcased exactly why the Capitals invested heavily in the pacer, who has now taken his season’s tally to an extraordinary 56 wickets at an average under 13.
Nabi’s spectacular performance with the ball
This performance is merely the latest chapter in what has been a historic season for Nabi. The 29-year-old began his domestic campaign with a bang, taking a double hat-trick on his Duleep Trophy debut In the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Madhya Pradesh, he claimed a sensational 12-wicket match haul to guide J&K to the semifinals for the first time.
He followed that with nine wickets in the semifinal against Bengal, including a five-wicket haul in the first innings, earning him the Player of the Match award.
