Three years in the making: Gurnor Brar repays Shubman Gill’s faith, showing he’s not a one-trick pony

TimesofIndia.com in Dharamsala: It is fitting that Gurnor Brar’s first international wicket bears Shubman Gill’s name: Ibrahim Zadran caught by Shubman Gill, bowled by Gurnor Brar. If not for Gill, the 26-year-old could have become just another Indian player who vanished into thin air after astonishing everyone with his speed.By his own admission, Brar was quick and erratic, and learned his lesson the hard way after making a memorable debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Punjab Kings in 2023. He could have been off to a flying start, but KL Rahul’s organizing chance slipped away at a late point. He was then taken to the cleaners and returned with a lesson.

“Tez ball se paaji ab koi darta nahi chahe aap 155 hi kyu na daal rahe ho (No one is afraid of absolute speed now).

I learned the lesson the hard way,” he told TimesofIndia.com after being selected for the Indian team.The lesson was followed by injuries and unsold in the IPL auction. Before the start of IPL 2024, his career took a different turn when he got a helping hand from Gill, who asked him to join Gujarat Titans (GT) as a net bowler. But Gill had one condition: that he abandon his stubbornness of hitting the back of the length five overs in a single over and start bowling all-rounders.

“Shubman pushes you a lot. He is never satisfied and does not allow his teammates to remain satisfied,” Brar said.For the past two years, Gurnoor has been part of the GT squad, but is yet to feature in any matches. The reason was simple: The six-foot-five-inch pitcher was still a work in progress. Even during the Indian Premier League, Brar was asked to play with the red ball to improve his height and exercise more control. He did what his commander and childhood friend asked.Slowly, he earned his rewards. He was selected for the India A squad, where he caught the attention of the selectors when he bowled a heart-pounder on a quiet Lucknow track in the unofficial Test matches against Australia A. His ability to bowl long overs, extract bounce from the surface and, most importantly, strengthen backhand deliveries has stood out, along with a significant improvement in his bowling full lengths.On Saturday at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) in Dharamsala, Brar picked up three wickets in his 29-ball spell and not only impressed everyone with his pace but also his lengths.“It’s very impressive, how Gornoor bowled, his amazing pace and the way he was swinging the ball, the kind of length he was consistently bowling,” captain Shubman Gill told broadcasters after India’s six-wicket win over Afghanistan.

Brar, sharing the new ball with his Punjab teammate Arshdeep Singh, bowled a full over in his first spell and took his first wicket with the fifth ball. It was a long delivery that walked away late.

Zadran went for the drive, got an advantage in the air, and Gil, running back up the middle, completed the catch. On the next ball, Siddiqullah trapped Atal, though India lost the review.After bowling greater lengths in his first over, Brar switched to the short ball in his second. Although he leaked some boundaries, he overtook his GT teammate Rashid Khan with a full, straight delivery. Anticipating another goalkeeper, Rashid was already in a defensive position, but Brar changed his length.

The former Afghanistan captain swung hard, missed and watched the ball hit his leg stump. Brar finished with three wickets on debut and took his third over of the day with a backwards delivery.It’s still early days, but Brar gave a glimpse that he has the potential to make the trip to the ODI World Cup 2027. In the press conference after the team was selected for the Afghanistan series, India chief selector Ajit Agarkar spoke about how Gurnur has shown promise over the past year and a half playing domestic and India cricket, and why the selectors were keen to see his development with an eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup.With Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj returning to the ODI squad closer to the World Cup, Brar will add freshness to the Indian pace attack as a first-change bowler. Brar is tall, hits the deck hard and swings and swings at a high pace. Add to this the ability to pin players and make the old ball reverse.Brar did not have a quick rise. He realized that speed is all about excitement. Friendly advice from ODI and Test captain Gill allowed him to learn the tricks of the trade at Gujarat Titans, and now he is reaping the rewards for his long hours. Father Sukhbir Singh Brar’s hands were folded when Zadran missed the shot. The moment Gill completed the hunt, Brar Sr celebrated his son’s debut with great enthusiasm and received several pats on the back from Lakhwinder Singh Gill, Shubman’s father, who was sitting right next to him.“Tu aa ja, kaafieekhega (You will learn a lot),” Gil told Brar while extending an invitation to join GT as a netball player. Little Brar knew then that the advice would change his life and the life of his family within a few years.