MUMBAI, Aug. 4 -- Former India captain and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar maintains that the most important thing is to pick a player when he is in form and doing well. In domestic cricket, no one is in better rhythm than Auqib Nabi. The Jammu and Kashmir pacer has delivered back-to-back blockbuster seasons. Nabi claimed 104 wickets across the last two Ranji Trophy seasons, including 60 wickets in the 2025-26 campaign, playing a pivotal role in Jammu and Kashmir's maiden Ranji Trophy triumph. After such a brilliant show, it was a given that he would be an automatic pick for India's one-off Test against Afghanistan in June at New Chandigarh. To the disbelief of cricket fans, Nabi's name was missing when the team was announced. Nabi was also not picked in the original squad for the upcoming two-Test series in Sri Lanka either. However, strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah not recovering from his knee injury has paved the way for the 29-year-old's inclusion as a replacement. When a deserving candidate's selection is delayed the fear is that he may lose motivation. The break thus could not have come at a better time. It is reward for his toil and fine performances. "It's a big achievement for Nabi because he has set an example for all those in India who are playing in the domestic circuit. Now they can have the belief that if you do well in the domestic circuit, you can play for India," said P Krishna Kumar, Nabi's bowling coach for the last three seasons with Jammu and Kashmir. "I knew this route is very long; for example, if someone is playing IPL, it's a shorter route because you get a chance to play against the top players of the world, and if you perform you get selected for India. But not everyone can play IPL. This (Nabi's selection) has given the belief to all aspiring cricketers. That is the biggest message that has gone in the domestic circuit," said Kumar, who played 70 first-class games and is now the fast bowling coach at BCCI's Centre of Excellence, Bengaluru. How important was it for Nabi to get this break? "Only last week he was at the Centre of Excellence. He was slightly down that he was not getting the chance. But the best thing about Nabi is he has got a cool head on his shoulders," he said....