Auqib Nabi returned to the Delhi Capitals Playing XI against Punjab Kings, and boy was he fantastic. However, the fact that the match was played in Dharamsala helped him a lot. The pitch was doing a lot for fast bowlers, and Auqib made the most of it. It was exactly the kind of wicket that propelled him to national stardom in the Ranji Trophy. All he had to do was bowl a Test-match line, and he did exactly that.
In his previous three matches, he was taken to the cleaners at an economy rate of 13.43. For a bowler who has been tipped to be the next big thing in Indian bowling, that was a big disappointment. But on Monday night, the 29-year-old set several things to rights.
It was gladdening to see him go past the bats of Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh quite often. Even Shreyas Iyer was a bit careful against him.
Although it wasn’t an ideal outing. He bowled as many as two no-balls, and that’s something he needs to fix going forward. T20 cricket is a format of very small margins, and even a single of those mistakes can affect the outcome of a game.
After 12 runs in his first over, he made a stunning comeback. In his next three overs, he conceded 8, 2 and 10, and some of the balls that he bowled were really a sight for sore eyes.
However, it would have been wonderful if he had taken a wicket or two. He is yet to take his first wicket in the Indian Premier League.
So, while the Jammu and Kashmir bowler impressed on his return — the last time he played against the same opposition in New Delhi in a game in which the hosts failed to defend a mammoth 264, he has a long way to go. There are many things in his bowling that he can improve on.
Fitness and pace!
To begin with, he needs to get a wee bit leaner. There is the Anshul Kamboj example for him to follow. Readers will remember how heavy he had looked when he played a Test in England last year. He was all over the place in that game. But this year, Kamboj has been a revelation for Chennai Super Kings and a big contender for the Purple Cap. There are not many fast bowlers in cricket history who have done well with a heavy body. So, after the IPL, Auqib can address that a bit.
Second, he can add a bit of pace to his bowling. At present, his fastest are upwards of 130 kmph, but to succeed at the international level or even in the IPL, he needs to bowl a fit faster. On that front, he can learn from Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who at the start of his career was an out-and-out swing bowler without any real pace to speak of. But over time, he quickened to the extent that there have been IPLs in the past where he constantly clicked upwards of 140kmph. And thanks to that improvement, he is still relevant.
Auqib should pat himself on the back for showing some of his talent amid heavy media criticism. This is the first time he has played in the IPL. He would for sure have made his notes. When he returns next, he should be able to put his critics in their place.
