Bengaluru Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi, representing the North Zone, made history on Friday by becoming the first player to take four wickets in four balls in the Duleep Trophy.
At the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground, the 28-year-old left-arm pacer wreaked havoc with his pace, leaving the North Zone side in command. In a stunning display, Nabi dismissed Virat Singh, Manishi, and Mukhtar Hussain on the final three balls of the 53rd over, before removing Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal on the first ball of his next over — marking a first in the tournament’s history, according to Wisden.
He finished with remarkable figures of 5/28 in 10.1 overs, helping East Zone crumble to 230 in reply to a daunting 405. Nabi became only the third player in Duleep Trophy history to record a hat-trick, joining Kapil Dev (1979) and Sairaj Bahutule (2001).
Nabi made his first-class debut for Jammu and Kashmir in 2020 and first caught attention with a three-wicket haul against Karnataka in the quarter-finals. Despite going wicketless in the second innings of that match, he remained the most economical bowler for his side. He ended that season with 24 wickets in seven games at an average of 18.50, including two five-wicket hauls.
After a two-year absence from first-class cricket, Nabi made a sensational comeback last season, claiming 49 wickets in nine Ranji Trophy matches at an extraordinary average of 13.08.
His historic spell now gives North Zone a valuable 175-run lead, putting them in a strong position to extend their advantage on Day 3 and secure a spot in the semi-finals.
