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STUMP VISION MAY 22, 2026 | The Indian Eye 44

IPL 2026

The Karnal Express:

Anshul Kamboj’s Rapid Rise

For CSK, the fast bowler now looks less like a prospect and more like the foundation of their next bowling era. He combines old-
school stamina with modern tactical awareness, and that combination is increasingly rare in Indian cricket

in him a bowler perfectly suited to their cricketing
philosophy: intelligent, adaptable and emotionally
composed under pressure.
His journey soon reached the international
stage when he earned his India Test debut in Man-
chester against England. The numbers from that
game hardly flattered him as England piled on
runs, but context mattered. Conditions were brutal,
the attack inexperienced and scrutiny immediate.

That is when Haryana’s original fast-bowl-
ARCHAN MEHTA
ing hurricane, Kapil Dev, publicly stepped
nshul Kamboj does not fit the traditional in to defend the youngster. Kapil’s message
mythology of Indian fast bowling. He did
Anot emerge from elite academy systems was simple: no debutant should be judged
or under-19 celebrity circuits. There was no ear- solely through one difficult outing.
ly branding, no viral clips, no precocious stardom
attached to his rise. Instead, his ascent has been More importantly, Kamboj himself was not
forged through repetition, rejection and relentless shaken. Rather than retreat into caution, he car-
refinement; the sort of journey that often produces ried the experience forward as another lesson in
cricketers with longer shelf lives than louder begin- resilience; something every elite fast bowler even-
nings. tually requires.
Indian cricket has never lacked batting prod-
IPL 2026 has since become his true arrival. With
igies or mystery spinners, but the search for a injuries disrupting CSK’s overseas pace battery,
dependable Indian fast bowler across formats re- Kamboj has evolved into the side’s all-phase opera-
mains cricket’s version of a never-ending treasure tor. His 17 wickets in 10 games only tell half the sto-
hunt. In the middle of IPL 2026, Anshul Kamboj ry. The bigger revelation has been his death bowling.
has emerged as a rare answer to that problem. For By using a clever round-the-wicket angle and re-
Chennai Super Kings, his rise is not merely a break- lentlessly attacking the wide-off-stump channel, he
out story; it is succession planning in motion. At 6ft has become one of the tournament’s most effective
2 with a heavy-ball release and awkward bounce, finish-over bowlers. His dismissal of Virat Kohli at
Kamboj represents the kind of Indian seamer fran- the Chinnaswamy earlier this season further show-
chises spend years trying to discover; one capable cased his temperament. Young bowlers often shrink
of surviving the red-ball grind while thriving in the after a superstar survives an early chance; Kam-
chaos of T20 cricket. boj doubled down on his plan and got his reward.
What makes his story compelling is how un- With injuries disrupting CSK’s overseas pace battery, Kamboj
For CSK, Kamboj now looks less like a pros-
conventional it is. Hailing from Karnal, Haryana; a has evolved into the side’s all-phase operator. His 17 wickets pect and more like the foundation of their next
region better known for wrestlers and boxers; Kam- bowling era. He combines old-school stamina with
boj entered structured cricket late, only beginning in 10 games only tell half the story (ANI) modern tactical awareness, and that combination
formal training at 14. In fact, the defining moment is increasingly rare in Indian cricket. There is still
of his early career was rejection. When he missed vance during the 2024 Ranji Trophy when Kamboj refinement ahead, but the essentials are already
out on India’s Under-19 squad in 2020, it could took all 10 wickets against Kerala at Lahli. The visible: control, courage and clarity under pressure.
easily have ended the dream. Instead, it sharpened figures, 10 for 49 immediately placed him in elite And perhaps that is the best sign of all. Because in
it. He rebuilt himself through relentless training, company, but the spell’s real value was in its en- a tournament where bowlers disappear faster than
long practice days and an obsessive focus on seam durance. He bowled over 30 overs with relentless free food at a press box, Anshul Kamboj is making
position, fitness and control. The result was a fast accuracy, trusting pressure rather than theatrics. It batters wish rain interruptions lasted forever.
bowler who understood that pace alone means lit- transformed him from promising domestic seamer
tle without discipline. into a serious long-term prospect. CSK recognised Archan Mehta is a writer dedicated to telling compelling
That discipline exploded into national rele- it instantly during the 2025 mega auction, seeing stories about athletes, teams, and the world of cricket

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