Gurnoor Brar had a dream debut for India, picking up three wickets in the first ODI against Afghanistan at the scenic HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday (June 13).
The 6-foot-5-inch speedster from Punjab needed only five deliveries in international cricket to claim his maiden wicket, removing Afghanistan opener Ibrahim Zadran.
Operating consistently at speeds above 145 kmph and touching close to 150 kmph, Gurnoor heavily troubled batters with steep bounce. He closed out his spell beautifully by picking up two more wickets (Rashid Khan and Zia Ur Rahman) in the final over of the innings.
In a rain-curtailed 25-over contest, Gurnoor’s disciplined figures of 4.5-0-27-3 helped restrict Afghanistan to 194, paving the way for a comfortable seven-wicket victory for India.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, former India opener Wasim Jaffer highlighted that Gurnoor has been pushed through the ranks because of the pace he generates along with his height.
“Very impressive because he (Gurnoor Brar) has that pace, that speed. You know, he has been fast-tracked because of that reason, and also because of his height. He bowls at speeds of 144-145 kmph, gets bounce, and has a very good, solid, strong action. He has not played a lot of junior cricket, I feel the more he plays, the better he will become. He has been fast-tracked because of the promise and potential he showed,” Jaffer said.
“And I think he did not disappoint. In his very first match, he bowled really well. Today also, the kind of bowling he delivered, the pace, the line and length, it looked very promising. He looks like a very exciting prospect,” he added.
Recalling his time working as a member of the Punjab Kings' coaching staff, Jaffer mentioned that he had the chance to see Gurnoor Brar operating from close quarters and predicated a bright future for the fast bowler.
“I knew this already because I had worked with him in Punjab. I think he played a full season in 2024, and from there he also came into the Gujarat Titans setup. He did not get many chances in the IPL, but because of this potential, people are talking about him. We could see that he could be someone in the future who might bowl for us in Test cricket as well as in One Day cricket,” Jaffer remarked.
Coming to the match, India rode on skipper Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 84 off 66 balls to chase down the target of 195 with 13 deliveries to spare. Ishan Kishan (34 off 22) and KL Rahul (39* off 19) also made notable contributions.
With this victory, the Men in Blue took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second ODI will be played in Lucknow on June 17.
