Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik has backed young pacer Gurnoor Brar’s aggressive approach after his fiery send-off to Tim Seifert during the fourth ODI against New Zealand at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday, November 13, 2026. However, Karthik also felt the fast bowler needed to make a small adjustment to the way he celebrates his wickets. The incident occurred in the 12th over of New Zealand’s innings when Brar dismissed Seifert, who had scored an impressive 58.
The Indian pacer celebrated by getting close to the batter and roaring in his face. The exchange quickly became heated, prompting senior batter Virat Kohli to step in and pull Brar away to prevent the situation from escalating. Seifert’s dismissal was an important breakthrough for India, but Brar’s aggressive celebration attracted considerable attention. Speaking on Cricbuzz Live, Karthik acknowledged the youngster’s competitive spirit and said his passion for the game should not be discouraged.
Dinesh Karthik believes that Brar’s aggression is part of what makes him an effective fast bowler. While accepting that the youngster might occasionally cross the line, he insisted that India should not try to turn him into a cricketer who follows a predictable approach to celebrating wickets.
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“I like the fact that he has fire in him. He’s going to cross the line at the odd time, which is fine, as long as it doesn’t become something you cannot handle. I don’t want him to lose the zeal to play the sport and become this perfect cricketer with a set way to celebrate a wicket. Right now, he’s hungry and fiery, which is not a bad thing,” Dinesh Karthik said.
However, the former India cricketer identified one aspect of Brar’s behaviour that could be improved. He suggested that the pacer should direct his celebrations towards his teammates rather than the dismissed batter. Karthik also backed Brar’s on-field conversations and competitive attitude while bowling.
“The only criticism I have is he celebrates a lot more when the batter gets out and can be nasty. If he can control that to the point where he celebrates with his teammates rather than at the batter, the rest of what he does, like having a chirp when he bowls, should be encouraged. That fire is what got India the first wicket ultimately. That’s how he operates, and we should allow him to operate in that territory,” he added.
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Brar finished the match with two wickets for 69 runs. His dismissal of Seifert was particularly significant, as the New Zealand opener had registered his maiden ODI half-century in his eighth appearance in the format. Following the incident, on-field umpire Chris Brown issued the Indian pacer a warning over his send-off.
India eventually suffered a crushing 244-run defeat, but retained a 2-1 advantage in the five-match ODI series. The two teams will meet again on Sunday in the final match, with New Zealand aiming to level the series.
