The Duleep Trophy produced a moment of pure cricketing theatre when Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi ripped through East Zone’s batting with an extraordinary burst, claiming four wickets in four consecutive deliveries. It was a spell that not only turned the quarterfinal contest decisively in North Zone’s favor but also etched Nabi’s name into the record books. In a format with over six decades of history, no bowler had ever managed this feat until now, making it one of the standout performances in recent Indian domestic cricket.
East Zone, who were building a promising reply at 222 for 5, looked set to close the gap on North Zone’s formidable first-innings total of 405. Nabi, however, changed the narrative in the space of just a few minutes. He began by clean bowling the well-set Virat Singh, then trapped Manishi leg-before on the very next ball. With his tail up, he uprooted Mukhtar Hussain’s stumps to complete a hat-trick. The drama didn’t end there—off the first delivery of his next over, Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal also fell victim, completing the rare four-in-four sequence. The collapse left East Zone reeling, eventually dismissed for just 230, giving North Zone a commanding 175-run lead.
Earlier in the game, Nabi had already showcased his all-round ability. Coming in lower down the order, he smashed a quickfire 44 from just 33 deliveries, ensuring that North Zone’s middle-order contributions were converted into a formidable total. Danish Malewar’s double century and Kanhaiya Wadhawan’s gritty 76 had already set the tone, but Nabi’s late flurry added extra weight to the innings. With the ball, his 5 for 28 became the defining statistic of the match so far.
What makes Nabi’s performance so significant is not just the numbers but the context. In Indian domestic cricket, moments of individual brilliance often become the launchpads for higher recognition. The fact that he joins a select list of Indian bowlers—Kapil Dev, Sairaj Bahutule, and Mohammed Mudhasir being among those who have taken four wickets in four balls in first-class cricket—will inevitably bring him under the selectors’ radar. His ability to swing momentum with both bat and ball makes him a particularly valuable asset.
For East Zone, the collapse was as brutal as it was sudden. A strong platform was in place, and with Virat Singh anchoring the innings, a total in the range of 300-plus seemed achievable. Instead, Nabi’s burst wiped out the lower order in a blink, leaving their campaign in jeopardy. Their bowlers will now carry the burden of salvaging the contest, but against a confident North Zone side, the challenge looks daunting.
As the Duleep Trophy progresses, Auqib Nabi’s heroics will be remembered as a landmark moment in the tournament’s history. It was not just a spell of bowling; it was a statement of intent from a cricketer who has long been regarded as a promising talent from Jammu & Kashmir. Now, with his name written into the record books, the wider cricketing fraternity will be watching closely to see if this extraordinary performance proves to be a breakthrough moment in his career.
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