Not too long ago, Anshul Kamboj walked off after a difficult Test debut in England knowing things had not gone to plan. It was the kind of outing that can leave young fast bowlers searching for answers. Kamboj made his bow on the international circuit with significant promise, but finished his sole outing at Old Trafford with figures of 18-1-89-1 in England's mammoth 669.
Some of the game's greats have had middling debuts, but what stood out in Kamboj's outing was the pace, or the lack of it. He was clearly not at his best; his average speed hovered around the mid-120s and he lacked control, bowling only one maiden over. Kamboj hasn't played for India since then. But fast forward to May 2026, and Kamboj is the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2026. He has been one of the season's standout fast bowlers, and his limited-overs game has undergone a significant transformation.
The signs were there even during the SMAT campaign, where he impressed for Haryana. Only three bowlers picked up over 20 wickets in that tournament and among them, Kamboj had the best economy rate.
There has been a sharp shift this IPL in how Chennai Super Kings have spread his quota of four overs around. Initially viewed as a new-ball specialist, CSK now trust him to operate at both ends of an innings - arguably the toughest job in modern T20 cricket.
His excellent use of the wide yorker in particular has drawn praise. Kamboj's coach Satish Rana attributes it to the work he put in before the tournament. "Before the IPL camp, when he came to the academy, he would work a lot on the yorker, and wide yorker specifically," Rana said in a chat with Cricbuzz.
"He has really worked hard on improving his line and length. He would keep working hard at it, telling me he wants to work on this specifically today. He would work on his fitness earlier in the day, and skills in the evening. Last year, and this year as well, playing at CSK, he is getting a lot of support from MS Dhoni. A lot of hard work is being done in this aspect. Both of them interact a lot. That's made him focus a lot on death-over bowling and he's benefitting."
Elaborating on the plan to consistently nail those yorkers, especially away from the batter's reach, Rana praised Kamboj's ability to adapt quickly on the go. "(From round the wicket) the batter doesn't get enough space. He is ensuring the batter doesn't get enough room to free his arms. He's limiting batters in the final few overs, and sticking to the right line-length deliveries. At the academy, we practiced keeping shoes a lot to nail the yorkers, while also sticking to the right line-length channel. He's really worked hard on that front. He'd do it (target the shoes) while bowling to batters in the nets too."
Kamboj has been working with Rana since the age of 11 at his academy in Karnal. Glenn McGrath had a major influence on the youngster, and that obsession with accuracy in line and length helped him hone his red-ball skills. "He would come around 4.30 or 5 in the morning and stay till evening. Sometimes he would spend 8-10 hours at the ground. He had immense craze to play the game and to become a good cricketer. He was extremely hard-working from the beginning. He would follow exactly what you would ask him to do, and he continues to do so. He always wanted to be a fast bowler but would also bat well alongside it. He's always been a good all-rounder, and we've worked hard on both facets from the beginning."
As he transitioned into senior cricket, strong performances in the Ranji Trophy followed, highlighted by a historic 10-wicket haul in an innings against Kerala. "He started mainly with the red ball," Rana explained. "Only after getting selected for U19 cricket did he begin focusing more on the white ball."
Rana brushes aside Kamboj's disappointing India debut as a case of 'bad luck'. "He just admitted that he couldn't put the ball where he wanted to," Rana said on Kamboj's debut. "I asked him, '@I0$? (were you nervous?)'. He said nothing of that sort. It's just about that one bad day."
Rana points out that the 24-year-old's body language and confidence have stood out recently. According to Rana, the growth is no longer just technical. It is mental too. He pointed to Kamboj's recent dismissal of Virat Kohli in the ongoing IPL as an example. "At such a big platform, he will learn new things day-by-day on how to handle situations better, especially when batters are attacking him," Rana observed.
"Just recently, he took Virat Kohli's wicket. I noticed he hit him for a four off the first ball. As soon as Kohli advanced for the next ball, Anshul pulled his length back slightly. This is entirely a game of the mind. And to do that to one of the greatest batters we have."
Rana is now hopeful of Kamboj getting another crack at the international scene. Ironically, that second chance might now come in the white-ball format given Kamboj's recent transformation. "His confidence has been high from the start," Rana says. "Even at Mumbai Indians, he had that: it went quite well, even though he played just three games in 2024. Last season too, he did decently for CSK. Naturally, if you're bowling well, the confidence is high."
For now, the focus remains solely on CSK. Kamboj has played a major role in reviving the campaign of the five-time champions as they head into a crucial phase in their push for a playoff berth. Given his age and rapid rise, his tenure with CSK could easily extend beyond 2026. Teams in the IPL are always on the lookout for an Indian fast-bowling leader around whom an attack can take shape. Mumbai Indians have Jasprit Bumrah, Punjab Kings have Arshdeep Singh, while Kolkata Knight Riders will likely look to build around Harshit Rana even though he is currently injured.
Even though CSK retained Matheesha Pathirana in the most recent mega auction, that bet did not yield consistent rewards. While the association eventually collapsed after the 2025 season, Kamboj's emergence has helped free up that overseas slot for a bowler who can also bat, in the form of Jamie Overton.
Never in their history have CSK retained an Indian fast bowler ahead of a mega auction. But with age on his side, Kamboj could certainly force a rethink on that strategy by the end of next year. Rarely have Indian fast bowlers enjoyed prolonged stints with CSK. The likes of Mohit Sharma, Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur have done their bit for the franchise in the past. Now, there's a new name on the list, and he is tipped to surpass them all.
