Fast bowler Auqib Nabi said that keeping a "positive mindset instead of thinking about the results" has helped him reap the rewards in what has been another sensational Ranji Trophy season for him.
Nabi bagged three wickets on day three of the Ranji Trophy final against Karnataka, as Jammu & Kashmir went to stumps 364 runs ahead. That continued Nabi's dream run in first-class cricket since the 2024-25 season. Across these two seasons, he has 108 wickets at an average of 13.58. Of these, 58 wickets have come in the ongoing Ranji season, putting Nabi just two away from the top spot.
"I've worked really hard on my skills with the coaches or even by myself in the nets," he said of his performances in the last two seasons after the third day's play against Karnataka in Hubballi. "I've also kept a positive mindset instead of thinking about the results. So that has been helpful for me."
The build-up to the final was about J&K's bowling unit, led by Nabi and also including performers like left-arm quick Sunil Kumar and left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq, facing up to Karnataka's experienced batting line-up comprising KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Devdutt Padikkal and the highest run-scorer of the season, R Smaran.
Nabi dismissed Rahul and Nair with jaffas to leave Karnataka at 57 for 3, before adding Smaran's wicket for a golden duck to the list.
"I was just bowling in the good channel. That's what our coach was telling us - just bowl in good areas, that's it," Nabi said of his delivery to clean Nair up. "The mindset was to bowl without worrying about the batter [I'm bowling at]. So the idea was to do what was possible for me to do. I had even got a lot of messages saying 'You need to dismiss KL!'"
Nabi, if he becomes the highest wicket-taker, will only be the second fast bowler since Jaydev Unadkat in the 2019-20 season to achieve the landmark. J&K, playing their maiden Ranji final, could lift the trophy even if there's no outright result, but if they bag a first-innings lead.