IPL 2026 Auction: Who is Aaqib Nabi Dar, known as Dale Steyn of Jammu and Kashmir? Which Delhi bought for 8.40 crores

IPL 2026 Auction: Jammu and Kashmir fast bowler Aaqib Nabi Dar surprised everyone in the mini auction of IPL 2026. This 29 year old player was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 8.40 crore. His base price was only Rs 30 lakh, but due to the bids of four teams the price skyrocketed. This success is the result of his years of hard work.

Exciting auction bid

Delhi Capitals made the first bid for Aaqib Nabi Dar in the auction held in Abu Dhabi. Rajasthan Royals competed, then Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad also joined. Some teams left the bid, but there was a tough competition between Delhi and Hyderabad. In the end Delhi won for Rs 8.40 crore. Everyone sitting there was surprised to see this quote.

Great performance in domestic cricket

Aaqib is a right-arm medium fast bowler. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2025, he took 15 wickets, the economy was only 7.41. 4/16 was the best against Bihar. Took 29 wickets in Ranji Trophy, which included a brilliant spell of 7/24 against Rajasthan. Last season also he took 44 wickets, during which his average was 13.93. His bowling took Jammu and Kashmir to the knockout.

Career debut and statistics

Aaqib is from Baramulla. Made his first-class debut against Jharkhand in 2020. Till now, he has taken 125 wickets and 870 runs in 36 red ball matches, the highest score was 55. Took a total of 85 wickets in List-A and T20. The recent match was against Madhya Pradesh, where he took 3 wickets and scored 32 runs. He has become the third IPL player from Baramulla after Umran Malik and Yudhveer Singh.

Aaqib became an inspiration for Jammu and Kashmir

This success is the result of Aaqib’s hard work. He will touch new heights with Delhi in IPL. He is a great inspiration for the youth of the valley. They are planning to build a cricket academy in Baramulla. This will promote cricket in the area. The fast bowling of Delhi Capitals has now become stronger. Players like Aaqib show the strength of domestic cricket.