Over his four overs, debutant Anshul Kamboj mostly went for that length. Originally from the Karnal area of Haryana, the 23-year-old pacer showed incredible discipline, accuracy, and perseverance in his four overs—all without receiving a commensurate reward. He could have twice taken out Travis Head, the most damaging batter this season, but if only… He cleaned up the Australian, only to be ruled a no-ball. At third man, Nuwan Thushara also spilled an easy catch on another occasion.
“If you’re good enough to be picked in the Mumbai Indians first 12, you must be a very good bowler,” Simon Helmot, the assistant coach of SunRisers, said of Kamboj. “And no doubt there’s lots of good young bowlers coming through here in the IPL and he’s no exception. If you were to pick the wicket of Travis, obviously it is a good effort.”
Though Kamboj only took one wicket in the end—one for 42—it was one of those evenings when performance was not quite reflected in the stats. Just not fortunate enough, Kamboj was incredibly effective.
Kamboj is considered India material by Haryana side coach Amarjit Kaypee. He attends classes taught abroad. Though he can usually bowl at 145 kmph, he bowled at 138–139 kmph today. Kaypee praised the young debutant, who played for India in the Under-19 World Cup, saying, “He is a very disciplined and good batter too. After taking 17 wickets in ten Vijay Hazare Trophy games this season, a Mumbai Indians scout noticed Kamboj and he was purchased at auction for the starting price of Rs 20 lakh.
Kieron Pollard shed some insight into the youngster’s scouting process and his eventual Monday MI cap award. “Throughout the campaign, and when you consider it in terms of our activities, they travel throughout India and hunt for talent first. And he was one of the scouted ones. And he has entered the game and done what he can, which is, as you indicated, hit that line and length consistently. It takes some time before you receive the nod because you’re a new guy. He’s worked hard, too, and I felt it was just. And now we’re at a point where you can, you know, strategically examine what the other players have to give,” the Trinidadian remarked.
His bowling of a no-ball to Head was followed by another illegal delivery, and a costly over (18 runs) resulted from consecutive free hits. The right-arm bowler bowled the two excellent overs with nice length deliveries and a great deal of heart and resolve. Hardik Pandya got him back quickly enough for him to have another shot. In due course, he completed with style. Should we not see more of him in the days to come, it will be surprising.
Along with Jasprit Bumrah (one for 23), Pandya (three for 31), and Piyush Chawala (three for 33), who all helped the Mumbai Indians win by seven wickets, Kamboj was one of their standout performances of the evening. Naturally, the greatest star was the indomitable Suryakumar Yadav, who, with a counterattacking undefeated century (102) made a joke of all the bowling methods. From a Mumbai Indians perspective, though, such a commanding performance came too late in the season, if not precisely too early.
For more updates and insights on IPL 2024, visit CricAdvisor, your ultimate cricket companion
