New Delhi/Srinagar, Dec. 17 -- When Delhi Capitals picked Auqib Nabi Dar for Rs.8.4 crore at the IPL auction, the eight-figure price tag told only part of the story. For followers of Indian domestic cricket, the Jammu & Kashmir pacer's rise is less a surprise and more the reward for years of quiet, relentless work. Coming from Sheeri in Baramulla of north Kashmir, Nabi has never had the luxury of short cuts. He has built his career spell by spell, season by season, emerging as J&K's bowling spearhead and one of the most consistent fast bowlers in the Ranji Trophy in the last couple of years. "Overall coaching is not only about skills," an ecstatic J&K bowling coach P Krishna Kumar, who has worked closely with Nabi, said. "You have to spend time with the player, talk to him, understand personal things. Only then does a player start trusting the coach." Last year, Nabi stood out with 38 wickets at an average of 13.45, including five five-wicket hauls. He finished as the second-highest wicket-taker overall and was one of only two pacers in the top ten. In the ongoing Ranji season, he's the second-highest wicket-taker yet again with 29 wickets at an average of 13.28, including three five-wicket hauls. Nabi's consistency has mirrored J&K's own resurgence. The team reached the Ranji knockouts for the first time in five years last year, beating powerhouses Mumbai and Baroda along the way. This year, their upward swing continues in wins over Delhi and Hyderabad. Krishna Kumar observes that Nabi's biggest strength lies in his temperament. "If he takes five wickets, his attitude is the same. If he goes for runs, his attitude is the same," the coach said. "Mentally, he is very calm. That is very important if you want to play at a higher level. I have been coaching for 20 years, and I've seen very few players like him - Wasim Jaffer, Vikram Rathour and Sanjay Bangar. Whether they performed or failed, they moved on." Raised in a household where academics were the priority, Nabi secretly nurtured his cricketing ambitions by mimicking South Africa pace stalwart Dale Steyn's bowling action. The breakthrough came in 2018 with a Vijay Hazare Trophy debut, though injury soon halted his momentum. His Ranji debut followed a year later and progress was gradual. Nabi's multi-crore IPL deal, rising from a base price of Rs.30 lakh, has also become a symbol of the renewed emphasis on domestic cricket. His success in red-ball cricket dominates discourse but he also impressed at the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, picking up 15 wickets at an average of 13. Not only his villagers and relatives, cricket fans across the Valley applauded the resilience of the young cricketer. "Today he was rewarded for his hard work of over a decade. Everybody here is happy. I am thankful to the BCCI and the franchise that selected my son. I have no words to express this joy," said his father Ghulam Nabi Dar, a teacher. Zubair Ahmad Dar, general secretary of the Baramulla Cricket Forum, said, "The IPL will now open the door for him to international fixtures and will soon be playing for the national side. Zubair said his selection would now inspire other youngsters of the Valley. "Now onwards he (Auqib) will be our role model," said a young cricketer who was bursting crackers along with other enthusiasts in Baramulla town. Soon after the news about his IPL break came, social media was abuzz with praise for him. "Our hearts are filled with pride, gratitude and excitement as we wait to celebrate your performances," stated Sultan Warriors, a prominent club from Kashmir. J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah wrote on X, "Congratulations to Auqib Nabi Dar for this amazing achievement. We are all very proud of him & I'm pleased that his hard work has been rewarded."...