New Delhi: Gurnoor Brar grew up treating pace-bowling as something you could rehearse long before you ever picked up a proper cricket ball. As a kid, he would copy the actions of Dale Steyn, Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar—even while stepping across roads. The Mohali youngster may have taken up bowling seriously at 16, but the South African speedster Dale Steyn remained his defining inspiration.
From road rehearsals to a Steyn-style dream
- Gurnoor Brar says he became a bowler because he was a Dale Steyn fan.
- He started playing cricket bowling at the age of 16.
- Brar’s first love in school was football and tennis, not cricket.
- He stands at six feet five inches.
- He first drew attention after his pace stood out in Under-19 circles, including work with Shubman Gill.
Brar has described Steyn’s impact in simple terms: pace, yes, but also craft. “He ruled world cricket for almost a decade. He wasn’t just fast—his skill made him the best,” Brar said. Still, cricket wasn’t his default sport. “I used to play football and tennis in school. I never took cricket seriously. It was just for fun,” he explained.
Trials came through a nudge from a friend at school. The suggestion was that Brar’s height could translate into a useful bowling skill, and the idea made sense. “One of my friends suggested I give trials at school. He reasoned that since I have good height, I could be a good bowler,” Brar laughed.
Within two years, Brar’s path crossed with Shubman Gill. At that time, Gill was part of the India Under-19 setup, and Brar’s quickness made an impression. Brar recalled bowling to him during their Under-19 days and remembering Gill’s participation in a couple of Katoch Shield matches, which helped Brar get noticed and move into the district team.
Brar’s rise continued through Punjab’s domestic ladder. He said he played for Mohali and then earned selection for the Punjab Under-23 side after the Under-19 phase helped put him on the map. “I played for Mohali and was then picked for the Punjab Under-23 side,” he recollected.
Punjab Kings door opens via net work
Brar made his List A debut for Punjab in 2021, then followed it with five first-class appearances in the next year. His early returns weren’t flashy, but his raw pace caught the eye of Punjab Kings. The franchise brought him into their system as a net bowler — and it was in Mohali that he impressed Shikhar Dhawan, the team’s then skipper.
Brar said Dhawan noticed his pace during net sessions and promised him continued involvement. Later, he joined the squad as a replacement for Raj Angad Bawa. “I impressed Shikhar paaji with my pace. I was with the team as a net bowler. He told me that I would be with the team throughout the season. Later, I joined as a replacement for Raj Angad Bawa,” Brar said.
His first IPL appearance came against Lucknow Super Giants, a franchise that had previously considered signing him as a net bowler before Punjab Kings made their move. Brar described his debut as a reality check. “In the first season, you are never sure whether you will get a match,” he said, adding that Dhawan told him to be ready because he could get a game. “Two days later, I was playing in the IPL.”
Learning from seasoned voices also formed part of his early IPL education. Brar said Ashish Nehra repeatedly spoke to him about the injuries and errors that shaped his own career—highlighting that hard work matters, but so does listening to your body. “He keeps telling me to manage my workload and allow enough time for recovery,” Brar said.
At the toss, Dhawan informed Brar he would bowl the opening over. With Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada and Sam Curran in the XI, Brar was handed the new ball. He described immediate confidence, even as early moments tested him: a routine catch off KL Rahul was dropped on the very first ball, yet Brar still produced a disciplined opening spell, conceding only two runs. In his second over, he bowled a no-ball that was punished by the free hit going for a six, and the next no-ball also resulted in another six.
From that stretch, Brar took one clear lesson. “The biggest learning was that bowling a no-ball is a sin. Seekha ye ki thodi planning karni chahiye,” he said, before adding that sheer pace is no longer the only fear factor for batters. “These days, no one is afraid of sheer pace, even if you are bowling at 155 kmph.”
Injury, absence, and a new chance at Gujarat Titans
A few weeks after the IPL debut, Brar picked up another lesson—this time about body management. During the Sher-e-Punjab Trophy, Punjab’s domestic T20 competition, he suffered a disc bulge that later progressed into a fracture. The injury cost him the 2023-24 season entirely.
Brar was blunt about what went wrong. “Obviously, I did not take care of these things. I was not educated about workload and fitness. The load increased, I was not doing enough recovery work and then I got injured,” he said. He comes from village Kheo Wali in Sri Muktsar Sahib district in Punjab.
Without an IPL contract and after missing a full season, Brar received support from Gill. Brar said Gill called to check on him and offered him an opportunity to join Gujarat Titans as a net bowler for IPL 2024. “He asked me to come to GT as a net bowler. Tu ja, kaafi seekhega (Go there, you will learn a lot),” Brar said. He also described Gill’s push: “Shubman pushes you a lot. He never gets satisfied and does not let his teammates be content. His grind is extreme and it has made him mentally strong as well.”
At Gujarat Titans, Ashish Nehra became the mentor Brar leaned on again. Nehra shared stories from his own injury-filled career, reinforcing the same message Brar had heard earlier: work hard, but regulate your body and manage recovery. “He always tells me about his injuries and the mistakes he made in his career, like not taking care of his body and working excessively,” Brar said. “He says working hard is important, but you must listen to your body. He keeps telling me to manage my workload and allow enough time for recovery.”
After spending a year at GT as a net bowler, Brar’s efforts turned into a contract. He was signed by the Ahmedabad franchise for Rs 30 lakh in the 2025 IPL Auction and was retained for the 2026 edition. Brar said Rabada’s scrutiny has been another key part of his improvement—Rabada watches closely after finishing spells and urges him to keep things simple, hitting the good length with pace.
Brar also described a personal connection at GT, saying he built a close bond with Rabada, with whom he had previously shared the dressing room at Punjab Kings. “KG watches my bowling closely. Once he finishes his spells, he stands and watches me bowl. He tells me to keep it simple and hit the good length with good pace,” Brar said.
India A call-up and reverse-swing work
Brar has played 18 first-class matches and is a regular for Punjab. His height and ability to generate pace have drawn selectors’ attention, and he has become a regular in India A squads. He has taken 12 wickets in three matches so far.
Ajit Agarkar, chief selector of the BCCI, has pointed to Brar as a future option. “We are always looking. We do not have an overseas tour for a while, so we have more time. He shows promise and the India A tour gave us a chance to see him,” Agarkar said.
Brar has also been working on reverse swing, even as domestic conditions change. With only one ball now used in domestic cricket, he has learned how to get movement with the help of his coaches. “As far as reverse swing is concerned, the faster you bowl, the more it tends to reverse, provided the ball is well maintained,” he said.
His approach with the older ball is straightforward and aggressive. “When I get the old ball, I have only one thought in mind: bowl fast and attack the stumps. If I see even a slight hint of reverse swing, I go full throttle.” He added that in his List A debut, when two balls were used, he remembered bowling 18 yorkers in a row with the old ball as it reversed slightly—calling reverse swing “a great weapon” while still learning to master it fully.
With India’s pace-bowling backup currently looking thin and injury-prone, Brar’s next opportunity could come quickly. A couple of strong performances could push him back into national contention, turning the lessons from nets, injury rehab and reverse-swing work into match-winning results.
