India has handed maiden Test call-ups to Gurnoor Brar, Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey for the one-off Test against Afghanistan next month, rewarding three uncapped players who have pushed their way into contention through domestic cricket.
For Brar, the selection marks the latest step in a climb that began in the 2019 IPL season, when he worked as a net bowler with Mumbai Indians, and now reaches the senior Test squad after a strong run in red-ball cricket and a place in the India A setup.
The 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season was the turning point. Brar finished as Punjab’s leading wicket-taker with 26 wickets in seven matches and took 33 wickets in 12 matches overall in the competition, at an average of 25.66 and an economy rate of 3.43. He also produced a five-wicket burst of 5/14 against Bihar, underlining the new-ball threat that has made him stand out.
Brar, who was born in Punjab, is a tall right-arm pacer known for pace, bounce and the ability to move the ball both ways. He made his first-class debut in 2022 against Railways and his List A debut against Goa that same year, then made his IPL debut for Punjab Kings in 2023 against Lucknow Super Giants after being signed as a replacement for Raj Bawa for Rs 20 lakh.
His credentials did not arrive all at once. In 2023, he scored 64 against Jammu and Kashmir in a Ranji Trophy match and shared a 100-run partnership with Siddharth Kaul, a reminder that he can contribute beyond his bowling. He then took 22 wickets in 11 matches in the 2024 Sher-E-Punjab T20 League, with an average of 14 and an economy rate of 7.33, before Gujarat Titans bought him for INR 1.30 crore in the 2025 IPL auction.
The Test call-up also reflects how quickly Brar has moved through the system. From being a net bowler in 2019 to featuring in the IPL, then earning a place in the India A group, he has steadily turned domestic performances into bigger opportunities. The Afghanistan Test next month now gives him his clearest shot yet at a debut in India whites.
For Punjab, the rise is a validation of a bowler who delivered when the season asked most of him. For India, it is a bet that Brar’s pace, bounce and control can translate from state cricket to the international level when the one-off Test comes around.
