Nabi has played for Sylhet Royals and Mohammedan Sporting Club of Bangladesh, Afghan Cheetahs in Pakistan and Marylebone Cricket Club in UK. In 2016 he played for Quetta Gladiators in Pakistan Super League (PSL). In 2017 he played for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.

He became the first Afghan player to be sold in the IPL to Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 10th season. He was bought at his base price of 30L. In January 2018, he was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 IPL auction.

Nabi played for the Afghan Cheetahs team which competed in the Faysal Bank Twenty-20 Cup 2011-12 in Pakistan. He also played for Marylebone Cricket Club alongside Hamid Hassan.They played on behalf of MCC for the curtain raiser of the English county season against champion Nottinghamshire on 27–31 March 2011. MCC defeated Nottinghamshire by 174 runs and Hamid Hassan took 7 wickets and Nabi 2 wickets.They also played for the MCC in the Twenty20 side as they took on Nottinghamshire, Durham, Sussex and a select Fly Emirates side, in the Emirates Airline Twenty20 Trophy on 1 April.

In January–February 2013 Nabi played for Bangladesh Premier League side Sylhet Royals and helped his team reach the Semi-finals with some excellent performances. He took 16 wickets in 13 matches for Royals and was one of the top batsmen in the tournament. After the Royals had lost Andre Russell due to an injury, their search for an allrounder stopped at Nabi. The demand for the offspinner had come from the team's coach Mohammad Salahuddin, who has been vindicated by Nabi's performance.

He took 2 for 15 in the first match to give the Royals a controlled start against Barisal Burners – a 33-run win. Two more tight spells were followed by his first signif