Harpreet Brar, the left-arm spinner who plays for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL), made a surprise appearance at India's training session in Birmingham on Saturday, ahead of the second Test against England starting on July 2nd. It was revealed that Brar's presence was at the invitation of India's captain, Shubman Gill.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video where Brar explained how he came to be at the session. Brar mentioned he was visiting his wife's family in Swindon, which is about a 1 to 1.5-hour drive from Birmingham. He received a text message from Shubman Gill the day before, inviting him to come and practice with the team. "My wife is from Swindon. It's very close to Birmingham, it's a 1-1.5 hour drive. I was talking to Shubman (Gill), he texted me yesterday. So I thought let's go and practice there (Birmingham)," Brar said.
Dressed in non-official training gear, Brar was seen bowling to Indian batters like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, and Washington Sundar. This sparked speculation about India's strategy with spin for the upcoming Test, especially after their defeat in the first Test at Headingley. India's bowling performance in the first Test was under scrutiny, with only Ravindra Jadeja, the lone spinner, managing just one wicket across both innings.
Alongside Harpreet Brar, another domestic pacer from Chandigarh, Jagjit Singh Sandhu, also joined the Indian team's net practice. Sandhu, who is currently in Birmingham, shared his excitement about joining the team as a guest net bowler. He also mentioned playing age-group cricket with Gill, Pant, Arshdeep Singh, and Washington Sundar.
Brar expressed his happiness at seeing Arshdeep Singh with the Indian side. "The way he (Arshdeep) is doing it, it feels good. I feel very proud. It's a different feeling. It feels like you are among your own family," Brar added. Arshdeep Singh also said that meeting familiar faces in a foreign land feels special. "You come to a foreign country and you see familiar faces. So you can enjoy together," he said.
Harpreet Brar had a decent IPL 2025 season with Punjab Kings, taking 10 wickets in 8 games. His inclusion in the training session, even as a net bowler, suggests that the Indian team is looking at all options to strengthen their bowling attack for the crucial second Test against England. The invitation to Brar could be a tactical move to allow the Indian batters to practice against quality left-arm spin.
