Gurnoor Brar or Auqib Nabi? Which pacer will play first SL vs IND Test in Galle?
Gurnoor Brar & Auqib Nabi featured for India in warmup game against SLCXI.
India are set to embark upon the second leg of their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle. They have played nine Tests so far, and are now geared up for the upcoming assignment. This begins with a two-match away Test series against Sri Lanka (SL) from August 15.
The two Tests against Sri Lanka will be played in Galle and Colombo from August 15 and August 23, respectively. Shubman Gill and Co. are currently ranked fifth in the ICC WTC points table and are aiming for the top two spot.
The Indian side engaged in two Unofficial Tests and one 3-day warm-up game ahead of this tour. India are constantly troubled by injuries to important players. This time it is Test regulars Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan, Washington Sundar and Nitish Reddy.
Subsequently, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi have taken the spot in place of Bumrah and Reddy in the Test squad. They both featured in the Unofficial Tests as well as the warm-up game. There is a possibility of either of them making their Test debut on this tour.
Gurnoor Brar or Auqib Nabi ! Which pacer will make their debut on the Sri Lankan soil?
Brar earned his maiden Test call-up ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in June. However, he did not embark upon his Test cricket journey then. After his impressive ODI performances against Afghanistan and England, he found a place again in the Test side for Sri Lanka, especially in the absence of Nitish Reddy and Harshit Rana.
On the other hand, Auqib Nabi, the domestic pace-bowling sensation, earned his maiden Test call-up as an injury replacement to Jasprit Bumrah ahead of the SL Test series. Nabi claimed 60 wickets in the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 being the Player of the Tournament, and orchestrating Jammu & Kashmir’s maiden Ranji title win.
Both Brar and Nabi featured in the Unofficial Tests and the warm-up game ahead of the series opener. The Punjab speedster picked 10 wickets in the 2nd Unofficial Test, while Nabi, playing both the Unofficial games could claim 6 wickets.
In the warm-up fixture, Gurnoor got to bowl in both the innings, bowling 20 overs, he picked 3 wickets. Meanwhile, Auqib was brought only in the second innings; and he bowled five overs, without any success. Additionally, Gurnoor contributed 38 runs with the bat as well.
While the Sri Lankan tracks are known for spin, and India could play only two pacers in Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna; there are chances that either of Gurnoor or Auqib could get their debut game. However, the likelihood for the Punjab quick to embark upon his Test journey is more than that of Auqib. Gurnoor has been playing India A tours for two years now and is higher in the pecking order.
When is the first SL vs IND Test from?
The first SL vs IND Test begins on August 15.
Which of Gurnoor and Auqib will play against Sri Lanka?
There are chances that Gurnoor Brar will get his debut Test cap before Auqib Nabi.
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Cricket runs in the blood of Indians — and that’s something she truly believes in. A law student with a lifelong connection to the game, she has followed cricket passionately since his school days. Like countless young fans, she first experienced the sport on the field before deepening his understanding through constant watching, reading, and conversations around the game. Writing became a natural extension of that passion, bringing a “Pavilion Perspective” to his work — capturing how fans experience matches through their own lens.