{"id":11041,"date":"2026-05-20T05:42:49","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T05:42:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/gurnoor-brars-towering-pace-earns-india-call-up-for-afghanistan-tour"},"modified":"2026-05-20T05:42:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T05:42:49","slug":"gurnoor-brars-towering-pace-earns-india-call-up-for-afghanistan-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1win.za.com\/ipl\/gurnoor-brars-towering-pace-earns-india-call-up-for-afghanistan-tour","title":{"rendered":"Gurnoor Brar\u2019s towering pace earns India call-up for Afghanistan tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW DELHI: Standing at 6 feet 5 inches, Gurnoor Brar\u2019s pace is only part of his appeal. It\u2019s the bounce he produces \u2014 delivered at speeds that can creep beyond 145 kph \u2014 that tends to unsettle batters who aren\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar summed up the rationale behind the call-up in simple terms. \u201cWith 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,\u201d Agarkar said.<\/p>\n

How Brar\u2019s rise took shape<\/h2>\n
    \n
  1. \n

    Brar\u2019s first major nudge came through Shubman Gill. Their connection goes back to under-19 cricket, and then continued through the Katoch Shield \u2014 Punjab\u2019s multi-day inter-district competition.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    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.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    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.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    Most recently, Ashish Nehra became another key influence. Gujarat Titans bought Brar for Rs 1.3 crore in the 2025 IPL auction, and Nehra \u2014 the franchise\u2019s head coach \u2014 began working with him.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Brar, meanwhile, spoke about his approach and motivation. \u201cIt\u2019s always been a dream to play Tests for India. There\u2019s 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

    Why his selection mattered<\/h2>\n

    Brar has been a regular in the India \u2018A\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

    That defining moment, according to the setup, came when Brar was brought into the Chepauk nets ahead of India\u2019s last year home Test against Bangladesh. The team wanted a bowler who could mirror the steep bounce produced by Nahid Rana \u2014 and Brar, brought into the session, managed to make several of India\u2019s top batters uncomfortable with his angles and rise from a tall release point.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    NEW DELHI: Standing at 6 feet 5 inches, Gurnoor Brar\u2019s pace is only part of his appeal. It\u2019s the bounce he produces \u2014 delivered at…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":11040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Gurnoor Brar Pace Boost: India Squad for Afghanistan Tour","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Gurnoor Brar\u2019s 145kph bounce powers his maiden India call-up for the Afghanistan tour, earning spots in both Test and ODI squads.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\nGurnoor Brar Pace Boost: India Squad for Afghanistan Tour<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gurnoor Brar\u2019s 145kph bounce powers his maiden India call-up for the Afghanistan tour, earning spots in both Test and ODI squads.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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