From the confines of his room in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir star Auqib Nabi watched a large crowd celebrate his entry into the IPL on auction day. But, he says, the “ultimate goal” is to play and win matches for India.

Long before he lifted the Ranji Trophy with his J&K teammates, Nabi had grabbed attention for his exploits with the red ball. His persistent line, length, and discipline were key factors in the state’s maiden triumph, traits he now hopes to emulate with the Delhi Capitals.

“It was not about money. I wanted to play at least once. Even if I would have got Rs 30 lakh (base price), I wanted to play in IPL. Obviously, it felt good that Delhi Capitals took me in for such a huge amount,” Nabi, who was bought for Rs 8.40 crore, told reporters in a virtual interaction organised by Delhi Capitals on Friday.

“I was at home on the auction day as the Vijay Hazare (Trophy) camp was to start on the next day. When my name was announced, a lot of people got emotional as it happened after so many years of hard work. It was everyone’s dream (for me) to play at the next level. I got a little emotional too, seeing my family members emotional,” he said.

Nabi added, “I had not told my friends or the villagers that I was at home. There was a lot of noise. I was locked in a room and I didn’t tell anyone that I was at home. When people started coming in including the media, there was a lot of commotion, I was looking from inside the room. Everyone was happy and dancing. It felt good to see that.”

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly had said Nabi was on his way to earning national colours after J&K’s triumph. For Nabi, having a successful IPL will be another step in that direction. “IPL will be very important because it is a global tournament and you can watch it everywhere. The competition here is very good. I am doing what I can. I am not paying much attention to the things that are not in my control,” Nabi said, adding that so far he has not had any conversations with the national selectors.

“Obviously, playing for India and winning matches for India is my ultimate goal. It will be a dream come true if I play for India, so that is my main focus. But right now, I am focusing on IPL,” he said.

Nabi expressed confidence that he has the skills to succeed with the white ball too. “My strength is to swing the new ball and at the back end all those things that you need in T20 cricket, like yorker or slower ones,” he said. “I am working with the coaches, but I will also not move away from my strengths, will look to keep things simple and try and help Delhi win the trophy.”

The 29-year-old admitted there will be pressure of expectations. “Obviously, there will be expectations. But I am focusing on myself. I am not focusing on the outside,” he said.

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