Shubman Gill texted me: How Harpreet Brar joined India nets in Birmingham

Harpreet Brar, who impressed with his left-arm spin for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, was seen bowling at India’s training session in Birmingham ahead of the second Test against England at Edgbaston, starting July 2. The 29-year-old was spotted as a guest net bowler, and it has now been revealed that he joined the team on the request of India skipper and fellow Punjab native, Shubman Gill.

The buzz began on June 28 when Brar was seen bowling to Indian batters during nets. Dressed in non-official training gear, it quickly became apparent that he wasn’t part of the squad but had been roped in for practice purposes. This sparked speculation about India’s spin plans for the upcoming Test—especially after the team’s heavy defeat in Headingley.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) later shared a video of Brar at the session, where he mentioned being in Swindon (his wife’s hometown) when he received a message from the India captain to join the team’s training the next day in 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 the BCCI video.

In addition to Brar, young Chandigarh pacer Jagjit Singh Sandhu also joined the India nets as a guest bowler, further indicating the team’s intent to intensify their training ahead of a crucial Test.

India’s bowling attack is under scrutiny heading into Edgbaston. While Jasprit Bumrah picked up a five-wicket haul in the first innings at Leeds, his impact faded in the second as England chased down a massive 371-run target with relative ease. The rest of the pace attack struggled for consistency, while India’s lone spinner, Ravindra Jadeja, managed just one wicket across both innings.

This underwhelming bowling performance has led to speculation over India’s potential changes for the second Test—most notably, whether they might bring in Kuldeep Yadav to bolster their spin options. Adding to the uncertainty is the question of Bumrah’s availability. As part of his workload and injury management, the India skipper is expected to skip one or two matches in the five-Test series, and Edgbaston might be one of them.