Who is Gurnoor Brar? Seen by Shubman Gill, he impressed Shikhar Dhawan with pace as he was groomed by Ashish Nehra
Punjabi pacer Gurnoor Brar has been called up for India for the first time. (PTI Photo) New Delhi: Growing up, Gurnoor Brar was one of the many Indian kids who imitated the bowling action of Dale Steyn, Brett Lee and Shoaib Akhtar, even when crossing the road.Although Brar picked up the red cherry at the age of 16, the Mohali youngster has always been fascinated by South African great Dale Steyn. “I am a fan of Dale Steyn. I got into bowling because of him. He ruled world cricket for almost a decade. He was not only fast but it was his skill that made him the best in the world,” Brar tells TimesofIndia.com. Although he admired Steyn, Brar’s first love was never cricket. “I played football and tennis in school. I never took cricket seriously. It was just for fun,” he says.“One of my friends suggested I try out at school. He figured if I had good height, I could be a good bowler,” laughs Brar, who is six feet five inches tall.It turned out to be great advice. Within two years, Brar met Shubman Gill, who was with the India Under-19 team at the time, and Brar’s pace left a mark on the current India Test and ODI captain.
I played with him (Shubman Gill) from our under-19 days. I remember he played a couple of Katoch Shield matches when he was playing for India Under-19. He saw me bowling and helped me get into the district team.
Gurnoor Brar
“I watched with him from our under-19 days. I remember when he was playing for India under-19, he played a couple of Katoch Shield matches. He saw me studying and helped me get into the district team. I played for Mohali and then I got picked for the Punjab under-23 team,” he recalls.Brar made his List A debut for Punjab in 2021 and played five first-class matches the following year. Although his returns were modest, he caught the attention of the Punjab Kings and joined the franchise as a net bowler.
Gurnoor Singh Brar of Gujarat Titans during the warm-up before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 T20 cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. (PTI Photo)
It was in Mohali where he impressed the then Punjab Kings captain Shikhar Dhawan.“I impressed Shikhar paaji with my pace. I was with the team as a bowler. He told me that I would be with the team for the whole season. Later I came in as a replacement for Raj Angad Bawa,” recalls Brar.Then came his IPL debut against Lucknow Super Giants, a side that wanted to sign him as a bowler before the Punjab Kings came calling. Brar says his IPL debut gave him a reality check.“In the first season, you are never sure if you will get a game. One evening during the pool session, Shikhar paaji told me to be ready so that I could get a game. Two days later I was playing in the IPL,” says Brar.
Ashish Nehra always tells me about his injuries and mistakes he made in his career like not taking care of his body and overworking. He says hard work is important, but you have to listen to your body. He keeps telling me to manage my workload and allow myself enough time to recover.
Gurnoor Brar
“During the toss, Shikhar paaji told me to bowl the first pitch. With Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada and Sam Curran in the team, I got the new ball. It boosted my confidence. On the very first ball, KL Rahul dropped a regular catch. I bowled a good over and conceded only two balls and conceded only two wickets. I bowled a no-ball in the second. the no-ball also went for a six.“The biggest lesson was that bowling without a ball is a sin. Find out that some planning is required. Nobody wants to play the fastball today, you’re hitting 155. (I learned that you need to plan a bit. Nowadays, no one is afraid of fast pace, even if you are bowling at 155 kmph).”A few weeks later, while playing the Sher-e-Punjab Trophy – Punjab’s domestic T20 tournament – Brar learned another valuable lesson, this time about his body.“After the IPL, we had the Sher-e-Punjab league. During that tournament, I suffered a bulging disc which later turned into a fracture. I missed the 2023-24 season because of that injury. Obviously, I didn’t take care of these things. I wasn’t taught about workload and fitness. The workload increased, I didn’t do enough recovery work and then I got injured from the village,” says K Waohe, who got injured in the village Punjab District Sri Muktsar Sahib.
Gurnoor Brar (Photo Credit: Gurnoor Brar Instagram)
Out of contract for the IPL and missing the entire season, Brar received support from Gill, who called him to check on him and offered him a chance to join Gujarat Titans as a net bowler for the 2024 IPL.“He asked me to come to GT as a netminder. You go, you learn a lot (Go there, you will learn a lot). Shubman pushes you a lot. He never gets complacent and never leaves his teammates satisfied. His grind is extreme and it has also made him mentally strong,” says Brar.At Gujarat Titans, Brar found a mentor in Ashish Nehra. For a bowler coming back from injury, Nehra shared stories from his own injury-plagued career.“He always tells me about his injuries and the mistakes he’s made in his career, like not taking care of his body and overworking himself. He says hard work is important, but you have to listen to your body. He always tells me to manage my workload and give myself enough time to recover,” shares Brar.After spending a year in GT as a bowler, Brar was signed by the Ahmedabad franchise for Rs 30 lakh in the 2025 IPL auction and was retained for the 2026 edition.
Kagiso Rabada is watching my bowling closely. Once he finishes his spells, he stands and watches me pass. He tells me to keep it simple and hit a good length at a good pace
Gurnoor Brar
“It’s been a great learning curve for someone like me who started playing the sport so late,” he says.At GT, Brar also developed a close bond with Kagiso Rabada, with whom he previously shared a dressing room at Punjab Kings.“KG watches my bowling closely. Once he finishes his spells, he stands up and watches me bowl. He tells me to keep it simple and hit a good length with good pace,” says Brar.Brar has played 18 first-class matches and is a regular for Punjab. His height and ability to generate pace caught the attention of the selectors and he is now a regular in the India A teams, having taken 12 wickets in three matches so far.BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar called Brar “one for the future”. “We are always looking. We don’t have an overseas tour for a while, so we have more time. He shows promise and the India tour A gave us a chance to see him,” Agarkar said.
Which sport did Gurnoor Brar initially play before taking cricket seriously?
With the only ball now used in domestic cricket, Brar also learned the art of backswing with the help of his coaches.“In terms of the backswing, the faster you bowl, the more it tends to turn, provided the ball is maintained well,” says Brar.“When I get the old ball, I have one thought in my mind: mix it up quickly and attack the stumps. If I see even the slightest hint of backswing, I go full throttle.”“In my List A debut, when two balls were used, I remember bowling 18 yorkers at the trot with the old ball because it bounced slightly. It’s a great weapon and I’m still learning.”With India’s bowling line-up looking thin and injury-prone, a couple of strong performances could bring Brar into national contention.