TimesofIndia.com in Lucknow: Gurnoor Brar may have quickly earned attention for his pace, hard lengths and ability to trouble batters at the international level, but the right-arm pacer believes his journey is rooted firmly in the domestic circuit and the India A structure that bridges the gap between first-class cricket and the national team.Brar was once again the pick of the bowlers for India as the six-foot-five-inch pacer picked up three wickets in the second ODI against Afghanistan at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday. He had also claimed three wickets in the rain-curtailed first ODI in Dharamsala. In the post-match press conference in Lucknow, Brar was asked about the reputation he carries as a fast bowler capable of relentlessly hitting the deck. The 26-year-old, however, was quick to downplay labels and numbers.“I don’t think much about reputation or expectations. I believe in myself and in the work I’m doing. Whether it’s bowling hard lengths or fuller lengths, I focus on what I need to do rather than the results,” Brar said after India’s massive 170-run victory.For the Punjab pacer, consistency of preparation remains more important than match returns.“Preparation matters the most and whether I can repeat my processes consistently every day. Even in these two matches, I feel I can do better. I know I can bowl better than I did today, and hopefully I’ll improve in the coming games.”
Performances in the Ranji Trophy can take you to India A, the Duleep Trophy and the Irani Cup. When I got the India A call-up, I was very happy
Gurnoor Brar
A significant part of that development, according to Brar, came through the India A setup. The pacer described it as a crucial step in his progression and credited domestic cricket for giving him the platform to dream bigger.“The India A setup was a big stepping stone. Performances in the Ranji Trophy can take you to India A, the Duleep Trophy and the Irani Cup. When I got the India A call-up, I was very happy,” he said.More importantly, Brar found that the methods that brought him success in domestic cricket remained effective at a higher level.“The same things that worked for me in domestic cricket, bowling fast, hitting hard lengths and swinging the ball, I tried to replicate at India A level as well.” The India A dressing room also provided him access to experienced international cricketers. One of those was Mohammed Siraj, whose guidance proved valuable.“Siraj bhai was there too, and I spoke to him a lot,” Brar revealed.His learning curve was further accelerated at Gujarat Titans, where he spent time observing and interacting with some of the country’s leading fast bowlers.“The environment at Gujarat Titans helped me a lot. There are experienced people like Ashish Nehra sir, Siraj bhai, Prasidh bhai and Ishant Sharma. You learn so much from them,” he said.
Gurnoor Brar celebrates the wicket of Afghanistan’s captain Hashmatullah Shahidi during the second ODI in Lucknow. (PTI)
While opportunities were not always guaranteed, Brar used every day as a learning experience.“I was waiting for my opportunity, but at the same time I was observing what they did well and where they made mistakes. My focus was always on learning as much as possible so that whenever I got my chance, I could perform better.”That growth has also reflected in his death-bowling skills. Brar stressed the importance of yorkers in modern cricket and said it is an area every fast bowler must work on.
I never get satisfied. I am happy that I performed well, but I want to do more for Team India
Gurnoor Brar
“I think every fast bowler should work on yorkers. I also spend a lot of time on death bowling and improving my yorkers because they’re very important, especially against quality hitters.”Even after a successful start in Indian colours, Brar remains far from satisfied.“I never get satisfied. I’m happy that I performed well, but I want to do more for Team India. I want to keep improving and contributing.”Brar is tipped as someone who could be useful in South African conditions at the 2027 ODI World Cup, and the pacer has made the right start to his international career.
