From Karnal to Manchester: Intrigued by McGrath and Movement, Anshul Kamboj realises Test dream

Indri is a small Municipal town in Haryana. So far, the town’s claim to fame was its sugar mill, where a new-age Indian single malt brand was first conceptualised. Now, it is also home to Anshul Kamboj, India’s latest Test debutant.

But back when Kamboj was still getting acquainted with the sport, a cricket academy was still 25 kilometres away from Indri, at Karnal, the nearest ‘big’ city. It was roughly a 40-minute trip, and Anshul’s father, Udham Singh, a farmer, decided it was worth the shot.

“He started with a tennis ball with his friends here at the village. But our father decided to get him enrolled into an academy in Karnal. Anshul was 11 or 12 years old then. It’s not too far away, frankly. Our father used to accompany him at first, and then he started going on his own,” said Sanyam, Kamboj’s younger brother.

Kamboj landed at the Rana Brothers’ Cricket Academy, run by Satish Rana, where he took his formative steps in the sport. Kamboj started out as an all-rounder before taking to fast bowling. He was intrigued by movement, and developed his out-swinger first, says Rana.

“He was a chubby 11-year-old who came to my academy. In one of the first conversations with him that I can remember now, Anshul told me, ‘ Mujhe player banna hai’.’ He came with his father, and was always here 15-20 minutes before time. I liked his punctuality,” said Rana.

His first breakthrough under Rana was getting into the Under-14 district team. He was also Haryana’s pick for an Under-19 North Zone side.

“For as long as I can remember, he was focused on cricket. Practice was all he was interested in. He went to play Under-14 for Haryana, that’s when he travelled away from home to play cricket for the first time. I am glad all his hard work is paying off now. Playing for India is the biggest achievement,” said Sanyam.

Glenn McGrath was his hero and Kamboj made it a point to emulate the Australian quick’s control and subtle movement. A growth spurt meant Kamboj could use his height to hit the hard length just like his idol. “That has been our sole focus since the day we started. We wanted consistency over everything else,” said Rana.

Kamboj eventually broke into the Ranji Trophy side, debuting in 2022. In 24 First-Class games since then, he has 79 wickets at an average of 22.

The 24-year-old became a rage in 2024. Playing against Kerala at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Stadium in Lahli in a Ranji Trophy match, Kamboj became only the sixth Indian bowler to claim 10 wickets (10/49) in an innings in a First-Class game.

He had almost accomplished that feat during the Duleep Trophy in Anantapur earlier that year, but ended with eight wickets in an innings, playing for India C. That still earned him the player-of-the-tournament award. He had 16 wickets in three games.

“That 10-wicket haul was special. The wicket at Lahli has changed. Earlier, it used to move a lot, scoring even 200 was enough on that wicket. It’s not the same anymore. The swing and bounce have gone away. But Anshul persisted with the hard length, bowled many, many overs consecutively from one end. That goes to show what he’s willing to put in. Spells of six, seven overs, three to four spells a day, that’s the stamina he has,” said Amarjit Kaypee, Haryana’s head coach.

Anshul Kamboj celebrates with his India B teammates after taking an eight-wicket haul in the Duleep Trophy.
| Photo Credit:
THE HINDU

While Kamboj’s stocks shot up in First-Class cricket, he was making progress in the limited-overs game as well.

In the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kamboj picked eight wickets in as many games for Chennai Super Kings. He thrived due to his persistence with the length, going at just eight runs an over. Before that, Kamboj was the leading wicket-taker in Haryana’s title-clinching Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign in 2023.

Switching formats is something Kamboj is still learning, but growing up around a farm is what will help Kamboj endure, Kaypee feels.

“He has that brawny physique typical of a person growing up on farms. His body is natural for pace bowling. Within that five or six months of time in a season, you have to play all three formats. For a fast bowler, it’s difficult to get through this period. Anshul is incredibly fit. Only if you’re fit enough can you survive this as a pacer.”

Kaypee also says that Kamboj’s inswinger can be a handful. “He was bowling it earlier as well, but I would say it’s become more polished as he’s played domestic cricket regularly. And he does it with the same action, so it is difficult to read.”

Back home, it’s been a whirlwind month, for both Rana and Kamboj.

Kamboj departed for England with the India A side immediately after the IPL ended. He went to the Centre of Excellence upon his return. The day he got back to Indri, he was called up to the Indian side. Injuries to Akash Deep and Arshdeep Singh meant India needed a pace reinforcement for the fourth Test.

Chennai Super Kings’ Anshul Kamboj celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Kolkata Knight Riders’ Rahmanullah Gurbaz during IPL 2025.
| Photo Credit:
THE HINDU

“He’s just as grounded today as he was when he walked into my academy at 11. He’s gained a lot of maturity since he’s played in the big league. I saw a couple of his games for CSK in the IPL this year. I think that’s the best he’s bowled, in terms of discipline. He got the big wickets.

“He has quite a bit of experience now that he’s been in the domestic setup for around 3-4 years. But obviously, playing internationals is a whole different ball game. I am sure what he would have learned in those two games [against England Lions], he will apply. I think the hard work will show. Test cricket is everything. What pleases me the most is that he will make his debut in the toughest format,” said Rana.