Auqib Nabi vs Gurnoor Brar: Decoding The Debate Of The Decade

Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar (on right) with Shubman Gill [Source: AFP & Instagram/gurnoorbrar]

India and Afghanistan will play a One-off Test at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, scheduled to get underway on June 6. 

For the high-octane match, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has selected a pace attack featuring Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, and tall Punjab seamer Gurnoor Brar. 

Ever since the BCCI announced the India Test and ODI squads for the Bangladesh series, the less-talked-about name, Gurnoor Brar, being chosen over Auqib Nabi, who has a proven record in the format, has become a hot topic. 

Thus, in this article, let’s take a look at what led to the BCCI to prefer Gurnoor Brar over a proven Auqib Nabi for the India-Afghanistan Test series.

Exploring reasons why Gurnoor Brar was selected, and Auqib Nabi was not

Auqib Nabi has become a household name after two breathtaking Ranji Trophy seasons where he picked up 104 wickets across the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons. 

For the unversed, cricket experts and fans alike were expecting Nabi to receive his maiden India call-up for the IND vs AFG series. Instead, the Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar has been given the opportunity in place of the highly-rated J&K star, who bagged a INR 8.4 Cr contract from Delhi Capitals to play IPL 2026. 

Also read: No Virat Kohli; Shubman Gill To Lead: IPL 2026 Team of The League Phase

Gurnoor has played only one game in the Indian Premier League, which came back in 2023. For most, before the selection, he was a lesser-known name than in comparison to Nabi. 

Read below for the reasons that could have led BCCI to select the Punjab pacer.

Auqib-Gurnoor debate: BCCI selection priorities 

1. Raw pace of Gurnoor over Nabi's swing

The main difference between the two pacers is the pace at which they operate. Gurnoor Brar consistently clocks 140+ km/h, while Auqib Nabi generally operates in the 125-130 km/h range. Thus, Brar is approximately 10 km/h faster than Nabi.

On top of that, India's chief selector Ajit Agarkar, while talking about Brar’s inclusion, emphasised that “Gurnoor is a tall guy with a bit of pace, and we have seen a lot of promise from him over the last season and a half.”

“Keeping the South African World Cup in mind, we are obviously going to try a few guys who might be useful if they keep developing,” Agarkar added in a virtual press conference, responding to an IANS query. 

Brar’s raw pace has been chosen over the "Baramulla Express", who is a genuine wicket-taker who can extract movement even on flat, unresponsive pitches. 

2. A 6'5'' tall's bounce over Baramulla Express' accuracy

The difference in their bowling profiles and physical attributes provides more context. 

Gurnoor uses his towering 6 feet 5 inches to generate steep bounce and raw velocity. Selectors favour this dynamic dimension (alongside his temperament) when considering him for international red-ball conditions. 

Also read: India’s Opening Pair Combos For 2027 World Cup If Rohit Sharma Is Out

On the other hand, Auqib Nabi relies less on express pace and more on nagging accuracy, swing, and seam movement. While Navi boasts statistically superior domestic numbers, Brar’s higher velocity and bounce earned him the national call-up. 

3. A core leadership call 

The Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar also has the backing of India Test captain Shubman Gill. Brar plays for Gujarat Titans, where he plays under Gill's captaincy and trains under the watchful eyes of Ashish Nehra, one of the highest-rated coaches in the Indian ecosystem.

If the two rate Brar highly, it is understandable that the selectors have given weightage to the fast bowler, keeping in mind the ODI World Cup in South Africa in 2027, a squad that they want to build towards.

To Brar's credit, he picked up eight wickets when sent to Australia to play tour games, including an unofficial pink-ball Test. But the context of those wickets is important. In those matches, Brar conceded at an economy of 4 to 5.5 runs per over on pitches that aided bounce, his preferred weapon of choice.

In fact, Brar has been performing consistently for a while now while representing India A.

Final thoughts on Auqib Nabi-Gurnoor Brar debate

Auqib Nabi’s exclusion has been a pattern for the fast bowler. Ironically, despite having a solid red-ball career in which he consistently impressed with his skills, he was overlooked for years until the IPL 2026 auction.

Nonetheless, in my opinion, the Indian selectors were justified in choosing Gurnoor Brar over Auqib Nabi for the India versus Afghanistan series.

Full respect to Nabi’s remarkable achievements, but for an Indian side that is going through a crucial transitional phase in all departments, Gurnoor seems to offer more.

Hard work brings success, and Gurnoor went onto the old-school mantra to get into the India's senior set-up. He did the grinding, and got rewarded. Nabi, even though he is three years older than Brar, had to replicate the same to get the opportunity into his hands.

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