The BCCI announced the test squad for the series against Afghanistan and a new name that caught the attention of the Indian fans was Gurnoor Brar. The Punjab’s towering fast bowler, Gurnoor Brar has a very towering height with about six feet five inches. The young speedster has risen through the ranks quite quickly as he didn’t play a single match in this edition of the IPL but his performance prior to that was impressive enough. The feeling of getting a maiden national call-up would definitely be an overwhelming one for the youngster as it doesn’t get any better than playing for India.
Looking at the entire Indian squad for the one-off test match, the pace attack has been characterized with Mohammed Siraj leading the pace attack. There is a high chance that Gurnoor Brar could get a start considering his reputation in the domestic circuit. India will be confident that they can secure a dominant victory against Afghanistan as they have picked out a decent squad. There are significant changes in the bowling unit with the inclusion of Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey as well.
From local Punjab grounds to maiden India Test call-up: Gurnoor Brar’s resilient journey
Gurnoor Brar hails from the Muktsar Sahib district in Punjab and he grew up mimicking the actions of legendary pacers like Dale Steyn, Brett Lee, and Shoaib Akhtar. He initially didn’t treat the sport seriously as he was more interested in football. His first real insight into his cricketing potential came when one of his friends suggested that he could be a good pace bowler with his height.
During a few local matches, his raw pace caught the eye of current India captain Shubman Gill, who actively helped him break into the Mohali district setup. By 2021, Brar made his List A debut for Punjab, eventually landing a role as a net bowler for the Punjab Kings. Brar’s big break arrived when Shikhar Dhawan handed him his IPL debut for the Punjab Kings against Lucknow Super Giants. Dhawan’s decision to open the bowling with Gurnoor did his confidence a world of good as there were bowlers like Arshdeep Singh and Sam Curran in the squad.
After a severe disc fracture sidelined him for an entire domestic season, Shubman Gill gave him an opportunity by inviting him to join the Gujarat Titans as a net bowler for the 2024 season. It was with the Gujarat Titans that the speedster had found invaluable mentorship. Head coach Ashish Nehra constantly guided him on workload management and injury recovery, while overseas star Kagiso Rabada took time to fine-tune his line and length.
Recognizing his immense caliber, the Gujarat Titans signed Gurnoor Brar for INR 30 lakh in the 2025 auction and retained him for the ongoing 2026 season. He hasn’t been given a chance in the starting squad as of now but Gurnoor will be delighted with the national call-up as these are moments that every youngster dreams of while growing up.
