Suresh Raina Advocates for Aquib Nabi's Inclusion in Test Squad Against Afghanistan
Raina's Support for Aquib Nabi
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 20: Suresh Raina, a former Indian cricket star, expressed his belief that Aquib Nabi, a pacer from Jammu and Kashmir, deserved a spot in the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan. Raina highlighted Nabi's significant contribution in leading his team to their first-ever Ranji Trophy victory.
When the squad for the Test match was revealed on Tuesday, many were surprised by the absence of Aquib, who had an outstanding season, finishing as the top wicket-taker with 60 wickets at an impressive average of 12.56, including remarkable figures of 7/24, along with two four-wicket hauls and seven five-wicket hauls.
Raina stated, “Aquib Nabi should have been included. His performance was crucial in Jammu and Kashmir's historic Ranji Trophy win,” during his analysis on JioHotstar.
Despite this, he acknowledged the strong performances of Prasidh Krishna and Mohammed Siraj, who have been delivering consistent bowling. He also mentioned the uncapped Gurnoor Brar, noting that his height and build provide a unique advantage, likely influenced by inputs from his Gujarat Titans captain, Shubman Gill.
“Prasidh and Siraj are both bowling excellently with precision. Gurnoor, standing at 6'5", hails from Punjab and has taken 52 wickets in just 18 first-class matches. I believe Shubman Gill would have shared his preferences regarding the bowlers. Gurnoor's stature adds a different dimension to the squad. The selection committee, led by Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh, has been attentive to performances across the country during the red-ball season,” he added.
India's Test squad for the match against Afghanistan includes: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant, Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, and Dhruv Jurel.
For the ODI squad against Afghanistan, the players are: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, and Harsh Dubey.