The making of Auqib Nabi: Kashmir's hardships to India's Test cricket squad

"You play with so many cricket stars. Why don't you take selfies with them?" Bilal Ahmad Dar once asked his young cousin, Auqib Nabi. Auqib smiled and replied: "One day I will reach a place where they will want to take selfies with me." Years later, that prediction has come true. On Monday, the 29-year-old all-rounder became the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to earn an India Test call-up after replacing Jasprit Bumrah in the squad for the two-match series against Sri Lanka, which starts on 15 August. For a region where conflict, harsh winters and limited infrastructure have long restricted sporting opportunities, Auqib's selection is being seen as a landmark moment. Raised in a small village in Baramulla district, Auqib grew up playing on local grounds with little infrastructure and few opportunities. His father, Ghulam Nabi Dar, a schoolteacher, initially wanted him to concentrate on academics and become a doctor. "There was no scope in cricket. We used to think playing sport was a waste of time, so I insisted that Auqib focused on his studies," Ghulam says. But Auqib's persistence eventually changed his father's mind. "After seeing his passion for cricket, I accepted it.