Growing up, Gurnoor Brar was among the many Indian children who imitated the bowling actions of Dale Steyn, Brett Lee, and Shoaib Akhtar, even while crossing the street. Although Brar started playing cricket at the age of 16, the Mohali native was always captivated by South African great Dale Steyn. 'I am a Dale Steyn fan. Because of him, I took up bowling. He dominated world cricket for nearly a decade. He was not only fast, but his skill made him the best in the world,' Brar told TimesofIndia.com.
Despite his admiration for Steyn, cricket was not Brar's first love. 'I used to play football and tennis in school. I never took cricket seriously. It was just for fun,' he said. 'One of my friends suggested I try out for trials at school. He reasoned that since I have good height, I could be a good bowler,' Brar laughed, standing at six feet five inches.
That advice proved excellent. Within two years, Brar met Shubman Gill, who was then with the India Under-19 team, and Brar's pace impressed the current India Test and ODI captain. 'I used to bowl to him since 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 bowling and helped me get into the district team. I played for Mohali and was then picked for the Punjab Under-23 side,' he recalled.
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 Punjab Kings and joined the franchise as a net bowler. It was in Mohali where he impressed Punjab Kings' then-captain Shikhar Dhawan. 'I impressed Shikhar paaji with my pace. I was with the team as a net bowler. He told me that I would be with the team throughout the season. Later, I joined as a replacement for Raj Angad Bawa,' Brar recollected.
Then came his IPL debut against Lucknow Super Giants, a side that had wanted to sign him as a net bowler before Punjab Kings came calling. Brar said the IPL debut gave him a reality check. 'In the first season, you are never sure whether you will get a match. One evening during a pool session, Shikhar paaji told me to be ready as I could get a game. Two days later, I was playing in the IPL,' Brar shared. 'At the toss, Shikhar paaji told me that I would bowl the first over. With Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, and Sam Curran in the team, I was given the new ball. It boosted my confidence. On the very first ball, a regulation catch was dropped off KL Rahul. I bowled a good over and conceded only two runs. In my second over, I bowled a no-ball and the free hit went for a six. The next no-ball also went for a six.'
'The biggest learning was that bowling a no-ball is a sin. I learned that you need to plan a bit. These days, no one is afraid of sheer pace, even if you are bowling at 155 kmph.' A few weeks later, while playing the Sher-e-Punjab Trophy, Brar learned another valuable lesson about his body. 'After the IPL, we had the Sher-e-Punjab league. During that tournament, I suffered a disc bulge, which later turned into a fracture. I missed the 2023-24 season because of that injury. Obviously, I did not take care of these things. I was not educated about workload and fitness. The load increased, I was not doing enough recovery work, and then I got injured,' said Brar, who hails from village Kheo Wali in Punjab's Sri Muktsar Sahib district.
With no IPL contract and having missed an entire season, Brar received support from Gill, who called to check on him and offered him a chance to join Gujarat Titans as a net bowler for IPL 2024. 'He asked me to come to GT as a net bowler. "Go there, you will learn a lot." Shubman pushes you a lot. He never gets satisfied and does not let his teammates be content. His grind is extreme and it has made him mentally strong as well,' Brar said.
At Gujarat Titans, Brar found a mentor in Ashish Nehra. For a bowler returning from injury, Nehra shared stories from his own injury-ridden career. 'He always tells me about his injuries and the mistakes he made in his career, like not taking care of his body and working excessively. He says working hard is important, but you must listen to your body. He keeps telling me to manage my workload and allow enough time for recovery,' Brar shared.
After spending a year at GT as a net bowler, Brar was signed by the Ahmedabad franchise for Rs 30 lakh in the 2025 IPL Auction and has been retained for the 2026 edition. 'It has been a great learning curve for someone like me who started playing the sport so late,' he said. At GT, Brar also forged a close bond with Kagiso Rabada, with whom he had previously shared the dressing room at Punjab Kings. 'KG watches my bowling closely. Once he finishes his spells, he stands and watches me bowl. He tells me to keep it simple and hit the good length with good pace,' Brar said.
Brar has played 18 first-class matches and is a regular for Punjab. His height and ability to generate pace have caught the selectors' attention, and he is now a regular in India A squads, having taken 12 wickets in three matches so far. BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar has identified Brar as 'one for the future.' 'We are always looking. We do not have an overseas tour for a while, so we have more time. He shows promise, and the India A tour gave us a chance to see him,' Agarkar said.
With only one ball now used in domestic cricket, Brar has also learned the art of reverse swing with the help of his coaches. 'As far as reverse swing is concerned, the faster you bowl, the more it tends to reverse, provided the ball is well maintained,' Brar said. 'When I get the old ball, I have only one thought in mind: bowl fast and attack the stumps. If I see even a slight hint of reverse swing, I go full throttle. In my List A debut, when two balls were used, I remember bowling 18 yorkers on the trot with the old ball because it was reversing slightly. It is a great weapon to have, and I am still learning.'
With India's pace-bowling backup looking thin and injury-prone, a couple of strong performances could bring Brar into national contention.
Poll: What sport did Gurnoor Brar initially play before taking cricket seriously?
- Football
- Tennis
- Basketball
