Auqib Nabi isn't losing sleep over hefty price tag in IPL 2026; Delhi Capitals fast bowler keeps ‘outside noise’ at bay

Auqib Nabi is living his dream. Having been called by at least five Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises over the years for trials, Nabi never made it to the big stage before his 60-wicket haul in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 made everyone stand and notice. Hailing from the town of Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, the 29-year-old outfoxed top names in the country to spark a bidding war during the IPL 2026 auction last year in Abu Dhabi.

With a base price of ₹30 lakhs, the Jammu and Kashmir pacer finally landed a deal with Delhi Capitals for a whopping ₹8.40 crore - a massive 28-fold increase, thus making him one of the standout stories of the auction. In fact, Nabi was one of the architects of Jammu and Kashmir's maiden Ranji Trophy triumph.

Already a star in red-ball cricket, IPL will be a different-ball game for Auqib Nabi. The Delhi Capitals pacer knows that and has no intention to overhaul his game in the big boy's league where the margin of error is very limited. A soft-spoken individual, Nabi emphasised on sticking to his basics - swing the ball from both sides.

“My strength is to swing the ball from both sides. I will keep my focus on that, whether it is a red ball or a white ball game. My focus will always be on swinging the ball from a high point and getting wickets with the new ball,” Nabi told reports during a virtual media interaction on Friday.

"My focus will always be on keeping things as simple as possible and it's better because I will not step away from my strengths, which is to swing the ball from that high point and get early breakthroughs. So I will keep my focus on that," added the pacer.

Having spent time as a net bowler with Sunrisers Hyderabad last year, Delhi Capitals had already set their eyes on Nabi, the pacer himself revealed. “Hemang (Badani) sir said, that 'we are watching you and don't go anywhere for trials',” he revealed.

"I spoke to Venu (Venugopal Rao) sir and Munaf (Patel) sir, who also gave a positive response. I had it in my mind that if my time in Mushtaq Ali goes well, then I can get a chance this time to play," added Nabi. The words from India stalwarts did wonders for Nabi as he finished with 15 wickets from seven games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy at an economy rate of 7.41.

Does a hefty price tag bother Auqib Nabi?

Such a hefty price tag for an uncapped cricketer often tends to put pressure, thus affecting the performance. But Nabi doesn't want to let the outside noise impact him. “I am not thinking about the outside noise. I am just trying to stick to my basics, and I will be doing that in the IPL also.

“I am not putting the extra pressure by thinking about outside things. So, I will be focusing on my strengths, and I will keep it as simple as I did in domestic games - here as well, in the IPL,” he concluded. In terms of routine, Nabi wants to keep his recovery uncomplicated.

“In terms of my routine, my thing is that I need to have good sleep, especially when the matches are on. When you have to bowl again the next day, it helps in that and then, good food, good sleep, which is basic,” he said.