TimesofIndia.com in Dharamsala: It is fitting that this is Gurnor Brar’s first international wicket. Shabman GulName on it: Ibrahim Zadran caught by Shabman Gul, bowled by Gurnoor Brar. If not for Gill, the 26-year-old could have been just another Indian fast bowler who vanished into thin air after impressing everyone with his pace.By his own admission, Brar was quick and erratic, and he learned that lesson the hard way after an unforgettable Indian Premier League (IPL) debut for the Punjab Kings in 2023. They could have made a dream start, but KL Rahul’s chances of regulation were left behind. Then he was taken to the cleaners, and returned with a lesson.“No one is afraid of the fastball anymore, even if you are hitting 155 (no one is afraid of sheer speed anymore). I learned the lesson the hard way,” he told TimesofIndia.com after being selected for the Indian team.He was injured after this lesson and was not sold in the IPL auction. Before the start of IPL 2024, the career took a different turn when he got help from Gill, who asked him to join Gujarat Titans (GT) as a net bowler. But Gill had a condition: He would give up his stubborn streak of hitting the back of a length five times in an over and start bowling all over.“Shubman pushes you a lot. He is never satisfied and never lets his teammates be satisfied,” Brar had said.For the past two years, Gurnor has been a part of the GT squad, but has yet to get a single game. The reason was simple: the six-foot-five-inch bowler was still a work in progress. Even during the IPL, Brar was told to bowl with the red ball to improve his length and have more control. He did as his captain and childhood friend had done.Slowly, he got his reward. He was selected for the India A squad, where he caught the eye of the selectors when he bowled his heart out on the quiet Lucknow track in the unofficial Test matches against Australia A. His ability to bowl long spells, bounce off the surface and most importantly strengthen his back-of-a-length delivery, along with a marked improvement in stand-bowling.At the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday, Brar took three wickets in his 29-ball spell, impressing not only with his pace but also with his length.After India’s six-wicket win over Afghanistan, captain Shubman Gill told broadcasters, “Very impressive, the way Gurnor bowled, the pace and the way he was swinging the ball, the length he bowled consistently.”
Gurnoor Brar (AP Photo)
Brar, sharing the new ball with his Punjab teammate Arsdeep Singh, took his maiden wicket on his fifth ball, bowling full in his first spell. It was a long delivery that went late. Zadran went for the drive, got a vital edge in the air, and Gill, running backwards at mid-off, completed the catch. He trapped Siddiqullah Atul on the very next ball, though India lost the review.After bowling a fuller length in his first spell, Brar switched to the short ball in his second spell. Although he leaked a few boundaries, he overtook his GT teammate. Rashid Khan Complete, with direct delivery. Anticipating another bouncer, Rashid was already on the backfoot, but Brar changed his length. The former Afghanistan captain swung hard, missed, and saw the ball hit his leg stump. Brar took three wickets on debut and got his third of the day with a back-of-length delivery.It is still early days, but Brar has given a glimpse that he has the potential to reach the 2027 ODI World Cup. In the press conference after picking the team for the Afghanistan series, India chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained how Gurnoor had shown promise in domestic and India A cricket over the past year and a half, and why the selectors were keen to see his progress at the 2027 ODI World Cup.With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj set to return to the ODI setup closer to the World Cup, Brar will add freshness to the Indian pace attack as the first change bowler. Brar is tall, hits the deck hard and swings and seams with speed. Add to that the ability to nail a yorker and reverse the old ball.Berar did not grow rapidly. He realized that speed only creates thrills. Friendly advice from ODI and Test captain Gill allowed him to learn the tricks of the trade at the Gujarat Titans, and now he is reaping the rewards of the hours of grinding. Father Sukhbir Singh Brar had his hands folded when Zadran mistimed the hit. The moment Gill completed the catch, Brar Sr celebrated his son’s first wicket with great enthusiasm and received several pats on the back from Shubman’s father Lakhvinder Singh Gill, who was sitting next to him.“To aa jaa, kafi talahaga (you will learn a lot),” Gill had said while inviting Brar to join GT as a netballer. Little Brar must have known then that this advice would change his and his family’s life in a few years.
