Who Is Gurnoor Brar? (Source: AFP/ChatGPT)On Tuesday, May 19, the BCCI revealed India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming series against Afghanistan. Notably, the Afghans will travel to India in June for a one-off Test and three ODIs.It was an interesting squad selection, with several notable absentees from the Test and ODI squads. However, the talking point from the selection meeting in Gurnoor Brar’s maiden India call-up.Gujarat Titans' Gurnoor Brar Earns Maiden India Call-UpInterestingly, Punjab-based cricketer Gurnoor Brar was named in India’s both Test and ODI squad for the upcoming Afghanistan series. The 25-year-old quickly went viral on social media, as there was a lot of curiosity around him and the basis of his selection.Therefore, this article will shed light on the youngster and his journey over the years which led to his India selection.Who Is Gurnoor Brar? India’s Latest AdditionThe 6 feet 5 inches tall cricketer started his journey with Punjab in 2022. Notably, he met current India captain Shubman Gill during their Under-19 days. Previously, Brar admitted that it was Gill who promoted him at the district level.For the unversed, Brar was fond of tennis and football in his early days, but later shifted to cricket because of his good height. He then grew fond of Dale Steyn and worked on his bowling. Shubman Gill’s Big Impact In Gurnoor Brar’s SelectionGurnoor Brar has revealed that Shubman Gill has had a massive impact on his career and has always backed him to make it to the top level.“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 remarked as quoted by The Times of India.Also Read: RCB Equated To Melbourne Stars: IPL Teams And Their BBL Equivalents ListedFor the unversed, Gurnoor Brar started his career in 2021 with Punjab, but served as the Mumbai Indians’ net-bowler in IPL 2019. Eventually, the left-arm seamer featured for Punjab in domestic cricket, but failed to make an impression.He paved his way in IPL in 2023 when the Punjab Kings roped him as a replacement for Angad Bawa. Eventually, Shubman Gill’s influence again worked in 2025 when the Gujarat Titans roped in the all-rounder for 1.30 crores.Interestingly, in the two seasons, he has failed to play a solitary match for the Gujarat Titans. Overall, Brar has played just a solitary match in IPL history.Did Gurnoor Brar Deserve India Call-Up? Decoding His StatsShedding light on Gurnoor Brar’s stats, the 25-year-old has not done something significant to earn an India call-up across two formats. Talking about his first-class career, Brar has picked up 52 wickets in 28 innings. The all-rounder has an average of 27 with the ball. However, with the bat, Brar has just an average of 15.20 in first-class cricket, as he has only amassed 304 runs in 23 innings.Further, in List-A cricket, Gurnoor Brar has picked up just 12 wickets in 9 innings and averages 8.66 with the bat.Also Read: India ODI Squad vs Afghanistan Announced; BCCI Brings Ishan Kishan Back
