J&K Cricket: A 15-Man Squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and Auqib Nabi Stays On in New Zealand for the Tests

Two J&K cricket stories are running at once: a domestic T20 squad that starts play tomorrow, and a young pacer who is part of India's set-up in New Zealand.

The Syed Mushtaq Ali squad

The J&K Cricket Association has named a 15-member squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, which runs in Indore from 14 to 26 November. Shubham Khajuria will captain. Greater Kashmir lists Qamran Iqbal, Abdul Samad, Umran Malik and Yudhvir Singh among the prominent names, alongside Yawer Hassan, Kawalpreet Singh, wicketkeepers Dikshant Kundal and Rydham Sharma, Sahil Lotra, Vanshaj Sharma, Abid Mushtaq, Sunil Kumar, Brijesh Sharma and Lone Nasir Muzaffar. The squad was finalised on the recommendation of the JKCA Senior Men's Selection Committee and approved by the competent authority. The report does not state J&K's group or fixtures, so check the tournament schedule before planning to follow a match.

Auqib Nabi in New Zealand

Greater Kashmir, carrying PTI, reports from Mount Maunganui that the J&K pacer has played three ODIs and is asked often about pace. He bowls in the 130 kmph range and said: "Obviously, if you have the pace, it's very good. But my skill, I back that." He added that in New Zealand conditions there is a chance of more wickets if you "scramble seam or hit the deck". He has bowled extensively in the nets to Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who advised him on seam bowling there. Separately, assistant coach Sitanshu Kotak said Nabi, Gurnoor Brar and Arshdeep Singh would stay back in New Zealand to help prepare for the two-Test series, which begins on 19 November. Whether Nabi will be picked for a Test has not been announced. (His name is spelled both "Aquib" and "Auqib" in the source; we use the spelling used in our earlier profile, linked here.)

Why it matters

For a young Jammu cricketer, the two stories show both routes: the state squad through the JKCA selection committee, and the India pathway that a domestic seamer has reached by backing his skills.

Sources: Greater Kashmir on the squad; Greater Kashmir/PTI on Nabi, 12 November 2026.