Former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer has praised young fast bowler Gurnoor Brar for his brilliant performance despite suffering a crushing four-wicket defeat against England in the second ODI in Cardiff on Thursday, July 16.
Cricket pundits also backed Jasprit Bumrah after his return to form, but questioned Kuldeep Yadav’s omission from the playing XI as the touring team missed the chance to seal the ongoing three-match ODI series in England. Now the ODI series is to be held at Lord’s on July 19. Meanwhile, Parthiv Patel has backed Rohit Sharma to silence critics with a century in a potential farewell ODI.
Wasim Jaffer warns India not to rush to include Gurnoor Brar in T20
After the second ODI in Cardiff, Wasim Jaffer praised Gurnoor Brar for his brilliant performance on the England tour. The left-arm fast bowler has taken four wickets in the first two ODIs and made a strong impression with his disciplined bowling against England.
The 26-year-old has now taken 11 wickets in just five ODIs for India. His consistent performances have made him one of the most talented young fast bowlers in India. However, Jaffer advised the Indian team management not to rush Gurnoor Brar into T20I cricket.
He believes that Brar is more suited to ODI and Test cricket as these formats allow him to bowl longer spells and stick to his strengths. Jaffer said that Brar’s biggest quality is his ability to consistently bowl in the right areas which makes him more effective in Tests and ODIs.
Gurnoor Brar is a good option for Test and ODI: Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer said on his YouTube channel, “As far as Gurnoor Brar is concerned, I think he looks really good. I had said earlier also that he is a good option for Test cricket and ODIs. In my opinion, he should not be rushed into T20 cricket.”
These formats are better for him because he can bowl at his pace and bowl the right length consistently. If he plays T20 cricket, I don’t think he will be that effective because the batsmen will go after him. Therefore, I think Gurnoor Brar should be used mainly in this format and Test cricket.
IPL break helped Jasprit Bumrah recover: Wasim Jaffer
The former Indian opener was also happy to see Jasprit Bumrah returning to form. Playing his first ODI series after the 2023 ODI World Cup, Bumrah has taken two wickets in the first two ODIs against England and has bowled with good pace and control.
Jaffer believes that the break after IPL 2026 has helped the star fast bowler recover well. Bumrah had a tough time for Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2026 season, taking only four wickets in 13 matches.
The cricket pundit said, “I think the break has worked well for him. We were just talking about how, after the World Cup, he looked very tired during the IPL. It felt like he was suffering from fatigue, and that usual Bumrah is who we want to see.”
Jaffer is surprised by Kuldeep Yadav’s exclusion
Jaffer was also surprised that Kuldeep was not selected because India needed a wrist spinner in the middle overs in England. Earlier, Kris Srikkanth had questioned Shivam Dubey’s place in India’s ODI team.
He said, “You know, I think Kuldeep should play. Then, it is a bit difficult to understand why he is not playing. In the middle overs, you need a wrist spinner, because on this kind of wicket, a wrist spinner can give you success. If you go with only finger spinners, I think you may face some problems.”
