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Punjab pacer Gurnoor Brar's rise to the Indian team received an emotional touch on Friday as his parents reflected on his journey from a schoolboy in Chandigarh to earning a maiden national call-up for the upcoming Test and ODI series against Afghanistan.
The 6-foot-5 fast bowler was named in both India's Test squad and ODI squad after impressing with his performances in domestic cricket. The 25-year-old is among the uncapped players selected in the ODI squad alongside Prince Yadav and Harsh Dubey. Reacting to the achievement, Gurnoor's mother Manwinder Kaur Brar thanked the selectors and the BCCI for recognising her son's talent. "First and foremost, I would like to thank the Almighty for bestowing such grace upon my son and for choosing him for this path, as everything ultimately happens by God's will. He completed his schooling at Ryan International School, Chandigarh, and during his school days, he participated in sports to a limited extent. Then, after completing the 10th grade, he expressed his desire to me to pursue sports professionally," Manwinder Kaur Brar told ANI. "His father had previously played both basketball and tennis for a short period; His father insisted that he play cricket instead. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the BCCI as well as to all the selectors. They recognised the inherent quality and potential within my son, and it is thanks to that recognition that we received this national call-up today," she told ANI. His father, Punjab Police ASI Sukhvir Singh Brar, recalled how he initially encouraged his son to take up basketball because of his height before Gurnoor decided to focus entirely on cricket. Speaking to ANI, his father said, "It feels absolutely wonderful--it's a feeling that simply cannot be put into words; it brings such immense joy. I have been closely involved in sports myself as a national-level basketball player. Because of that, I originally suggested to him, 'You have excellent height, you should play basketball.' However, after just fifteen or twenty days of going to the ground, he came to me and said, 'Dad, I don't want to play basketball; I want to pursue cricket instead.' So I replied, 'Son, it's entirely your choice. I won't impose any restrictions on you regarding this; do whatever you enjoy. However, you must participate in some sport." The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads earlier this week for the one-off Test and the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. India will play the one-off Test from June 6 before featuring in the ODI series between June 14 and June 20. Shubman Gill will lead the side in both formats, while KL Rahul has been named vice-captain in Tests and Shreyas Iyer will serve as deputy in ODIs. Veteran players Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja were left out of both squads, while Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya's participation in the ODI series remains subject to fitness clearance. India's pace attack for the Test includes Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and uncapped seamer Gurnoor Brar, while Kuldeep Yadav, Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar form the spin department. (ANI)
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