Brar returned figures of three for 27 from 4.5 overs in India’s seven-wicket win in the first ODI. | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

Squad selection in cricket is considered as a very rational and logical exercise. But those who do it will attest that even in this era of information and data overload, there is a need to exhibit a streak of intuitive intelligence, go beyond mere statistics, make educated guesses, and ultimately hope that the choices are proven right.

Gurnoor Brar is a case in point. Leading into the home series versus Afghanistan, he had played just nine List A games and taken 12 wickets. In First-Class cricket, he had 52 scalps from 18 matches at an average of 27.30. These are not extraordinary numbers.

But the 26-year-old’s raw pace, and 6’5” frame, convinced the wise men that he would be more than handy. So he proved in the first ODI against the Afghans in Dharamshala on Saturday, returning figures of three for 27 from 4.5 overs in India’s seven-wicket victory in a rain-curtailed encounter.

He consistently hit speeds upwards of 140 kmph to hustle the visiting batters, and also moved the ball around. His height gives him an additional dimension – he can bowl a tad short and threaten the upper half of the bat, a quality that Ishant Sharma once brought to the Indian team and something Prasidh Krishna has only shown glimpses of.

While Gurnoor’s selection over Ranji Trophy star Auqib Nabi (104 wickets in two seasons) for the one-off Test versus Afghanistan rankled many, his inclusion for the one-day fixtures appears sound.

The 2027 World Cup will be held majorly in South Africa, with Zimbabwe and Namibia as co-hosts. These are parts of the cricketing world which have traditionally been hospitable to the type of skills Gurnoor possesses.

The marquee tournament may be more than 15 months away, but unlike T20 cricket, the 50-over format does not have an IPL style testing ground. Caught between the hallowed Tests and the ultra-popular T20s, ODIs seem to suffer from the ‘middle child syndrome’ – left out and isolated but remembered from time to time.

As a result, all the experiments, and the permutations and combinations, have to happen on the job. That perhaps explains why India is scheduled to play 19 more ODIs in the next seven months alone.

Gurnoor’s sophomore test is likely to come on Wednesday under the unforgiving summer heat of Lucknow, a significant change from the pleasant environs of Dharamshala. Can he also make hay while the sun shines?

Published on Jun 15, 2026