 "Anshul Kamboj story: Why the Haryana pacer was handed India debut at Manchester")
Haryana fast bowler Anshul Kamboj was handed his India debut on Wednesday as he was included in the playing XI in place of injured Akash Deep for the fourth Test against England at Manchester. It is nothing short of a dream come true for the 24-year-old cricketer, who was added to India’s squad just ahead of the fourth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England.
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player, who was also part of the India A team that played against England Lions in England earlier this year, received his debut cap from former wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta.
Kamboj has in the past spoken about Glenn McGrath being his idol and the Indian pacer is quite similar to the Australian great in his bowling. He is known for being able to hit the same line and length for a long stretch of time and his bowling speeds are usually around 135-140 km per hour.
A bowler who made history in Ranji Trophy
Kamboj first grabbed headlines in November 2024 during the Ranji Trophy. He picked up a 10-wicket haul in an innings while playing against Kerala. His figures were an unbelievable 10/49.
He became only the third bowler in 91-year-old Ranji Trophy history to achieve this feat. Premangshu Chatterjee in 1956 and Pradeep Sundaram in 1985 are the other two bowlers on the exclusive list.
As far as Kamboj’s First-Class record is concerned, he has played 24 matches and taken 79 wickets at an average of 22.88 and an economy rate of 3.10.
Strong domestic and IPL record
Apart from his exploits in red-ball cricket, Kamboj has good numbers in limited-overs cricket too. He has played 25 List A matches and taken 40 wickets, and has 30 T20 games under his belt, in which he has 34 wickets, with an average of just over 20 in both formats.
In the IPL, Kamboj started with Mumbai Indians in 2024 but was released. He played only three games for MI and took two wickets. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) then bought him for Rs 3.4 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction. For CSK, he played eight matches and took as many wickets.
Impact Shorts
View AllPerformances for India A
Kamboj played two red-ball matches for India A against England Lions before the start of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. In the first unofficial Test, he picked up one wicket and scored 23 runs. In the second game, he bowled brilliantly and registered figures of 2/56 and 2/6.
Kamboj also showed he can bat a little bit, scoring a crucial unbeaten 51 while batting at number nine. These performances caught the eye of selectors, who gave him a chance as soon as an injury replacement was required in the main team.
Ashwin compares Kamboj with Bumrah and Khan
India’s senior spinner R Ashwin has spoken highly of Kamboj. On his YouTube channel, Ashwin said, “The appreciable thing about Anshul is that he understands the plan. Many fast bowlers just say they want to express themselves, but Anshul knows the plan and executes it well. Very few bowlers have this quality. Zaheer Khan had it, Bumrah has it, and now Anshul shows that understanding too.”
Ashwin played with Kamboj at CSK in IPL 2025. He also highlighted Kamboj’s technical strengths. “He has a very good tappa, a very upright seam position, and he doesn’t miss his length. I saw that in the IPL. If you bring him into the playing XI with Bumrah and Siraj, this will be a serious bowling attack.”
He also reminded fans of Kamboj’s Ranji Trophy heroics. “People will say Anshul hasn’t played in England, but he was there on the A tour. He is in cracking form in first-class cricket, averaging around 13, and he has already bowled long spells. You need that in England.”
Kamboj says McGrath is an inspiration
Speaking about his journey, Kamboj said in an earlier interview, “I liked cricket from the very beginning. My father also liked it. So even in my local area when I had free time, I would go and play cricket. When I was 12 years old I started playing professional cricket. From that point on, I tried hard as a fast bowler. My dad played an important role, he supported me. My family has been very supportive. All coaches have helped. When you get this kind of support, you can push your limits.”
#TeamIndia’s newest addition, #AnshulKamboj, opens up about his inspiring journey to the top! 👏🏻
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) July 21, 2025
Should the young seamer get his chance in the 4th Test vs England? 👀#ENGvIND | 4th Test starts WED, 23rd JULY, 2:30 PM | Streaming on JioHotstar! pic.twitter.com/yyTjMgi2fZ
“When I started cricket, my travel was a lot. I used to travel from my village for an hour to reach the ground for training. Growing up, I was inspired by Glen McGrath’s consistency. I also try to do the same thing. Keep things simple and try to hit the good areas and good line.”
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