Dr. Jitendra Singh congratulates J&K cricketer Auqib Nabi on India Test call-up
Synopsis
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh congratulated Jammu and Kashmir cricketer Auqib Nabi on his selection in India's Test squad for the Sri Lanka series, calling it a proud moment earned through dedication and perseverance.
Key Takeaways
Auqib Nabi , a young cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir , has been selected in the Indian Test squad for the series against Sri Lanka .
Jitendra Singh publicly congratulated Nabi on 3 August 2026 via X.
Singh holds charge of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and is MoS in the Prime Minister's Office , making him a key central representative for J&K.
J&K became a Union Territory in 2019 , placing sports development under direct central oversight.
The congratulatory message is part of a wider pattern of Union ministers amplifying individual achievements from the region to highlight opportunity post-2019.
A cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir has broken into the national Test squad — and Union Science and Technology Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh was among the first to mark the moment. On Monday, 3 August 2026, the Minister took to X to congratulate Auqib Nabi on his selection in the Indian squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka.
In his post, Dr. Singh wrote: 'Heartiest congratulations to young cricketer Auqib Nabi from Jammu and Kashmir, on his selection in the Indian squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka. Your dedication, perseverance and passion for the game have earned you this proud moment. Wishing you great success as you don the national colours and make the nation proud.'
A J&K talent earns a Test whites moment
For a Union Territory that has seen its share of political upheaval, a cricketer earning a Test cap carries weight beyond the sport. Jammu and Kashmir's reorganisation as a Union Territory in 2019 placed its institutions — including sports development — under direct central oversight, and stories of individual athletic achievement have since become a visible part of the region's public narrative. Auqib Nabi's selection slots neatly into that story: a young player whose 'dedication, perseverance and passion,' in the Minister's words, carried him all the way to the national dressing room.Ministers from the region and the politics of recognition
Dr. Jitendra Singh, who represents Jammu and Kashmir's interests at the Centre as MoS in the Prime Minister's Office alongside his science portfolio, has consistently used social media to spotlight achievements from the region. Public congratulations of this kind are a regular feature of his constituency engagement — part of a broader pattern in which Union ministers from the territory amplify local talent to project opportunity and normalcy post-2019. The gesture is ceremonial, but the signal it sends — that a cricketer from J&K now belongs on the same stage as the rest of India — is not trivial. All eyes now turn to the India-Sri Lanka Test series and how Auqib Nabi performs when he steps onto the field in national colours.Point of View
But it sits within a deliberate political effort to frame Jammu and Kashmir as a region producing national-level talent since its 2019 reorganisation. For the BJP-led Centre, every such milestone — a sportsperson, a civil servant, an entrepreneur — becomes a data point in the argument that the abrogation of Article 370 opened doors. The real test, as always, is whether institutional support for J&K cricket keeps pace with the ministerial applause.
NationPress
3 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Dr. Jitendra Singh congratulate Auqib Nabi?
Dr. Jitendra Singh, as a Union Minister representing Jammu and Kashmir's interests at the Centre, congratulated Auqib Nabi on his selection in the Indian Test squad, calling it a proud moment for the region.
Which series has Auqib Nabi been selected for?
Auqib Nabi has been selected in the Indian squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka.
What is Dr. Jitendra Singh's role in government?
Dr. Jitendra Singh is Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, and also holds MoS charge in the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Personnel.
Is Auqib Nabi the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to play for India?
The post does not specify whether Auqib Nabi is the first cricketer from J&K to represent India at the Test level; it marks his selection as a proud milestone for the region.
