Anshul Kamboj (Source: @ddsportschannel/X.com, @BCCI/X.com)
In 2024, 23-year-old Anshul Kamboj made headlines for picking all 10 wickets in a Ranji Trophy game. The Haryana pacer, who's known for his excellent seam position and seam movement, is now making his debut for India against England in Manchester.
Kamboj's Rattling Spell In 2024 Ranji Trophy Against Kerala
It was the Elite Group C match at Rohtak, where Kerala faced Haryana in the 2024 edition of the Ranji Trophy. Kerala batted first and were rocked by Anshul Kamboj storm, who went through the opposition batting lineup. Bowling 30.1 overs, to be precise, and giving away 49 runs, the most eye-catching thing was that he picked up all 10 wickets in the innings.
From Baba Aparajith and Rohan Kunnummal to Sachin Baby and Mohammad Azharuddin, everyone had Kamboj written after their name on the scorecard. In the end, the match was drawn, as Haryana, after being 52 for two while chasing 253, ran out of time while chasing their target.
Out of Kamboj's 10 dismissals in that innings, three saw their stumps being dismantled, while five were caught by the fielders, whereas just one player was trapped in front of the stumps as Anshul announced his arrival in style.
Only Third Player In Ranji History To Achieve This Feat
With this record, he became only the third player in Ranji Trophy history to achieve this major feat. The previous players to do so were Bengal's Premangsu Chatterjee in 1957 against Assam, where he registered all 10 wickets in the innings during Assam's first innings.
While the second player to do so was Rajasthan's Pradeep Sunderam in 1985 against Vidarbha, where, in the first innings, he did so. Interestingly, he is the sixth player in Indian cricket history, after former players Subhash Gupte, Anil Kumble, and Debasis Mohanty, alongside the previous two, to achieve a 10-wicket haul.
Backed By MS Dhoni For His Outstanding Seam Position
After previously featuring for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, Anshul Kamboj made giant strides in 2025 when he was picked in the mega auction by MS Dhoni-backed Chennai Super Kings for ₹3.4 crore.
Playing eight matches, he picked up eight wickets, but was always in the good books of former Indian legend Dhoni for his invaluable seam position, which the wicket-keeping legend believes is his biggest asset.
Even after one of the matches, Dhoni didn't shy away from praising Kamboj for his outstanding skill set, as his seam position and ability to skid the delivery caused batters major problems.
"Kamboj doesn't get swing, but he gets seam movement. The ball hits you harder than the speed gun suggests," said MS Dhoni during post-presentation ceremony in IPL 2025.
Debut In Indian Test Jersey Against England At Manchester
Now, with all the hype surrounding him, Kamboj gets to make his debut in the ongoing Test between India and England at Old Trafford in Manchester, where he replaces the injured Akash Deep for this Test.
After doing everything in his power so far, Anshul, who has taken most of the steps right in his career, is now at the prime of his career, where a major opportunity awaits him in the form of this Test match.
His childhood coach, Satish Rana, previously described him as one of the biggest fans of Australian legend Glenn McGrath and mentioned that he always follows the former right-arm pacer.
"He is a big fan of Glenn McGrath. Bowls just like him. He watches McGrath’s videos, especially his wicket-taking spells, and tries to apply that in his own bowling. Meeting McGrath at the NCA was a dream come true for him. It changed his life and completely transformed his approach to bowling," Satish Rana, Kamboj's childhood coach, said.
Now, it will be quite fascinating to see if Kamboj can even get close to his idol when he picks the red cherry at Old Trafford.
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