As Team India gears up for the second Test against England at Edgbaston in Birmingham, a familiar face was spotted in their practice session: Punjab Kings (PBKS) spinner Harpreet Brar. The 29-year-old left-arm spinner joined the Indian team as a net bowler after receiving a text message from the team's captain, Shubman Gill.
Brar, who had a decent run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 with Punjab Kings, revealed that he was visiting his wife's family in Swindon, which is about a 1 to 1.5-hour drive from Birmingham. "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 in a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The presence of Brar at the practice session initially sparked rumors of a possible inclusion in the Test squad. However, it was later clarified that he joined the team only for practice purposes as a net bowler. During the session, Brar was seen bowling to Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, and other batters.
Brar and Gill share a good rapport, having played together for Punjab in domestic cricket. Arshdeep Singh, another Punjab Kings teammate and fellow Punjabi player, is also part of the Indian team. Brar expressed his happiness at seeing Arshdeep with the Indian side, stating, "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". Arshdeep also shared his sentiments, saying, "When you come to a foreign country and see familiar faces, you can enjoy together".
Apart from Harpreet Brar, another domestic pacer from Chandigarh, Jagjit Singh Sandhu, was also present during Team India's net practice. Sandhu, who is currently in Birmingham due to his cricket commitments, has played with several members of the Indian team at various levels. "Rishabh Pant and I played Under-19 Zonal one-day cricket together. When it was my last U19 season, Gill had his first. I played with Akash Deep in the Duleep Trophy, played with Washington Sundar in the U19 zone as an opponent. Arshdeep is also my junior, used to tell him how to bowl, take a run-up and all. Today he was asking me things as well," Sandhu said. Arshdeep also acknowledged Jagjit's influence, "I used to watch him closely when I was young. Everyone calls him 'Punjabi'. Back then, he was the senior, I was the under-16 kid. I learned so much from him, just watching and asking questions. Today he was reminding me of those days".
India is aiming to bounce back in the second Test after losing the first Test against England at Headingley. The second Test of the five-match series is scheduled to be played from July 2 to 6 at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The addition of Brar and Sandhu to the practice session has provided the Indian team with fresh energy and ideas as they look to level the series.
