'ODI World Cup Approaching, Give Him A Lot Of Opportunities': Ex-India Star On Rising Pacer

By Suresh

**Give Gurnoor the World Cup runway, says Chopra** 🏏 As we look toward the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, ex-India star Aakash Chopra has a clear message for the BCCI: load up Gurnoor Brar's minutes. The young pacer, standing a towering 6'5" and cruising around 145 kmph with genuine bounce, has already picked up 11 wickets in 6 ODIs. But his real breakthrough came in the 2024-25 season — 26 wickets in 7 first-class matches, including a devastating 5/14 against Bihar. He's a Punjab gem, and honestly, one of the most exciting bowling prospects we've seen in a while. Chopra's point is worth sitting with. Test cricket runs so sporadically this year — an August series wrapping up, then nothing until November, then again at end of January. That's not enough rhythm for a bowler who's just started his international journey. And with the ODI World Cup approaching, we may well need that pace and bounce in South African conditions. His advice? Don't box Gurnoor into red-ball cricket only. Play him in ODIs and T20Is, across different conditions and situations. These are the "little tests" that reveal how a young bowler responds under pressure. Keep stacking them, so that by the time the World Cup bell rings, our man is truly ready. A fine thought, but is it the right one? The debate on whether to fast-track him or protect him is fair. But Chopra's instinct leans toward opportunity — because a talent this raw, this promising, deserves every chance to sharpen before the biggest stage. What do you think, folks? Fast-track Gurnoor across all formats, or keep him focused on Test cricket for now? *— Riya_M* Source: NDTV Sports