India’s squad selection for the one-off Test against Afghanistan has once again brought Indian cricket’s domestic pathway under scrutiny. The biggest talking point from the squad announcement is the omission of Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi after one of the most prolific Ranji Trophy seasons by an Indian pacer in recent years.
Nabi finished the 2025–26 Ranji Trophy season with 60 wickets and crossed the 100-wicket mark across the last two domestic seasons. More importantly, he played a defining role in Jammu and Kashmir, winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title. Yet, when India announced the squad for the Afghanistan Test, Nabi didn’t make the cut.
Instead, selectors handed a maiden Test call-up to Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar. The debate around the decision is not really about Brar’s talent, which few doubt, but about the larger question it raises regarding India’s red-ball selection criteria today.
The Ranji benchmark
For years, Indian domestic cricket operated on a relatively straightforward understanding. Sustained performances in the Ranji Trophy would eventually place a player firmly in contention for the Indian Test side. The Ranji Trophy was seen as the primary pathway into India’s red-ball setup.
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Over the last couple of seasons, the BCCI has reinforced that messaging even more strongly. Indian players, including centrally contracted stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, were repeatedly encouraged to participate in domestic cricket. Senior officials and selectors publicly stressed the importance of Ranji Trophy performances in national selection discussions.
That is what makes Nabi’s omission particularly significant. Jammu and Kashmir’s title-winning campaign was built around his performances with the ball. In the final against the Karnataka cricket team, Nabi produced a match-defining spell, dismissing key batters, including KL Rahul, and finishing with a five-wicket haul. His performances across the season eventually earned him the Player of the Tournament award.
A question of transparency
Given that context, many expected the Afghanistan Test to become an opportunity for the selectors to assess Nabi within the Indian setup. A one-off home Test against the Afghanistan national cricket team appeared to be the ideal opportunity to bring a high-performing domestic fast bowler into the squad environment and assess him closely.
Instead, the selectors opted for Gurnoor Brar, a tall right-arm pacer who has impressed within India A setups. Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar clarified after the squad announcement that Brar’s performances on India A tours had played a significant role in his selection. The selectors are believed to view Brar as a bowler possessing attributes suited to long-term overseas Test cricket, particularly height, bounce and raw pace.
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The larger question, though, is whether domestic cricket still remains the primary currency for India’s Test selection, or whether the system has gradually evolved into something far more layered and less transparent. Because, when a fast bowler can take 60 wickets in a Ranji season and still remain outside India’s plans even for a one-off series, the conversation shifts towards what selectors now value more heavily.
The Gujarat Titans setup
India’s red-ball selection process appears to draw from multiple layers beyond just domestic performances. India A exposure, long-term projection, and visibility within certain cricketing environments increasingly seem to form part of the larger evaluation process. That last point has also become part of the wider discussion surrounding the current Indian setup.
A noticeable number of players associated with the Gujarat Titans setup in recent seasons have either become central figures within the Indian team or continue to remain closely connected to the national setup. India’s current Test captain Shubman Gill leads the franchise, while players like Sai Sudharsan, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar and Prasidh Krishna have all operated within the same franchise environment in recent seasons. Gurnoor Brar himself is currently part of the Gujarat Titans setup.
There is no direct evidence to suggest franchise affiliations influence selection decisions. Modern cricket naturally creates overlap between IPL ecosystems, India A structures and the national side. Players competing in high-pressure franchise setups often remain more visible to selectors, coaches and analysts.
Mixed signals to cricketers
The debate has also found resonance among former cricketers. Irfan Pathan publicly stressed that strong domestic performances must continue to be rewarded. Former India cricketer now turned commentator Aakash Chopra also questioned what more Nabi realistically needed to do to enter India’s red-ball plans. While acknowledging Brar’s potential, Chopra argued that a home Test against Afghanistan could have been an ideal opportunity to assess a high-performing domestic fast bowler before exposing him directly to tougher overseas assignments.
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This becomes particularly sensitive in the context of the BCCI’s public push towards strengthening domestic cricket. Indian cricket has spent the last two years attempting to restore the relevance of the Ranji Trophy. The board’s messaging has consistently emphasized that domestic performances matter and that red-ball cricket remains central to India’s Test future.
So, what exactly is the pathway to India’s Test side today? Is the Ranji Trophy still the primary route, or do India A exposure and franchise environments matter more? For generations, domestic cricket survived on a simple understanding. If you performed consistently enough in the Ranji Trophy, India selectors would eventually notice that clarity gave purpose to the grind of first-class cricket.
But if extraordinary domestic performances no longer guarantee even an opportunity within the Indian setup, young cricketers are naturally left wondering where exactly they now need to perform, and on which platform, to genuinely enter the national conversation.
Long-term planning?
It comes at a time when franchise cricket already offers quicker recognition and faster financial growth. Indian cricket cannot afford to leave its domestic pathway open to interpretation. Selections like this create mixed signals.
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To be clear, selectors are under no obligation to pick purely on numbers. Every selection panel balances present performance with future planning. India’s management may genuinely believe Brar’s skillset aligns better with the long-term direction of the Test side, particularly for overseas conditions.
If India’s selection model has evolved beyond domestic numbers, then Indian cricket may eventually need to communicate that more transparently. Because right now, the gap between public messaging and selection outcomes is creating confusion. The Auqib Nabi omission has perhaps revealed how dramatically Indian cricket’s idea of ‘potential’ is changing.
(The Federal seeks to present views and opinions from all sides of the spectrum. The information, ideas or opinions in the articles are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Federal.)
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