NEW DELHI: Standing at 6 feet 5 inches, Gurnoor Brar’s pace is only part of his appeal. It’s the bounce he produces — delivered at speeds that can creep beyond 145 kph — that tends to unsettle batters who aren’t used to that steep, awkward height coming off a tall fast bowler. On Tuesday, when the selectors unveiled the squad lists for the Afghanistan tour, the 25-year-old earned a first-time promotion to both the Test and ODI groups.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar summed up the rationale behind the call-up in simple terms. “With Gurnoor, we have seen a lot of promise over the last season and a half. He is a tall guy who can bowl at pace,” Agarkar said.
How Brar’s rise took shape
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Brar’s first major nudge came through Shubman Gill. Their connection goes back to under-19 cricket, and then continued through the Katoch Shield — Punjab’s multi-day inter-district competition.
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Brar said Gill used to watch him bowl during their U-19 days and, after observing his action and pace, helped him secure a place in the district team. Brar then progressed to Mohali, before being selected for the Punjab U-23 setup.
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Next in the chain was Shikhar Dhawan. The former India opener, at the time captaining Punjab Kings in the IPL, met Brar in the nets and walked away impressed, concluding that the youngster had genuine quality.
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Most recently, Ashish Nehra became another key influence. Gujarat Titans bought Brar for Rs 1.3 crore in the 2025 IPL auction, and Nehra — the franchise’s head coach — began working with him.
Brar, meanwhile, spoke about his approach and motivation. “It’s always been a dream to play Tests for India. There’s nothing quite like the stature of the format. I try to make the most of my strengths. I keep it simple. I hit the hard length, move it away, and let the bounce that I get do the rest,” he said.
Why his selection mattered
Brar has been a regular in the India ‘A’ system since September 2025. In first-class cricket, he has 52 wickets from 18 matches, giving him a steady record of wicket-taking ability. Yet the detail that has marked him out goes beyond numbers and height alone.
That defining moment, according to the setup, came when Brar was brought into the Chepauk nets ahead of India’s last year home Test against Bangladesh. The team wanted a bowler who could mirror the steep bounce produced by Nahid Rana — and Brar, brought into the session, managed to make several of India’s top batters uncomfortable with his angles and rise from a tall release point.
