Haryana seamer Anshul Kamboj scripts history, picks 10 wickets in an innings

Life had felt weighty a twelve years agone though for the day’s hero. “As a 10-year-old, helium was overweight,” Kamboj’s puerility manager Satish Rana tells The Indian Express. A 10-year-old Anshul was taken to the nearest cricket academy by his father, who instructed manager Rana to marque him vessel truthful that helium would shed a fewer kilos.

1⃣ innings 🤝 1⃣0⃣ wickets 👏

Historic Spell 🙌

3⃣0⃣.1⃣ overs
9⃣ maidens
4⃣9⃣ runs
1⃣0⃣ wickets 🔥

Watch 📽️ Haryana Pacer Anshul Kamboj's record-breaking spell successful the 1st innings against Kerala 👌👌#RanjiTrophy | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/RcNP3NQJ2y

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) November 15, 2024

“The comic happening was Udham ji wanted him to go a bowler. He wanted him to vessel much truthful that helium would tally much and it would assistance him get into shape. He was right, aft all, contiguous the lad has created history,” Rana recalls.

The 23-year-old is the sixth Indian to execute this milestone successful first-class cricket, a database that includes Subhash Gupte against a touring archetypal people broadside from Pakistan, Anil Kumble successful the Pakistan Test and Debasis Mohanty successful Duleep Trophy.

On Thursday evening astatine the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium successful Lahli, Rohtak, Kamboj walked retired with 8 wickets and the thought of taking each the 10 wickets. “I was blessed with my bowling yesterday. When I was going to sleep, the thought of taking a 10-fer, crossed my mind. I told myself, if I would instrumentality the archetypal wicket successful the greeting I volition petition our skipper to fto maine vessel and decorativeness the job,” Kamboj tells this paper aft his historical feat.

For the past 4 years, Kamboj has trained nether Tejinder Mann astatine the Shri Ram Narain Cricket Club, Rohtak and the manager says that his spot is hitting bully magnitude passim the day. “He is not rapid. But helium has the knack of hitting the bully magnitude passim the day. He bowled 30 overs successful Kerala’s innings, that lasted 116.1 overs. He not lone picked each the 10 wickets but besides was the astir economical bowler,” says Mann.

Anshul’s obsession with hitting the bully magnitude consistently started erstwhile manager Satish Rana showed him videos of Australian fable Glenn McGrath.

“Watching McGrath’s videos became his hobby. He memorised McGrath’s stats successful a fewer days clip and started calling himself the adjacent McGrath arsenic well,” laughs Rana.

Anshul, who was besides awesome successful the precocious concluded U-23 Emerging Asia Cup, admits his emotion for the Australian legend.

“He is the best. The quality to deed the bully magnitude consistently implicit the years is incredible. I person modelled my bowling connected him but yes, I watched thousands of videos, wherever batters are dancing to his tunes,” helium says.

𝐖.𝐎.𝐖! 🔥

Haryana Pacer Anshul Kamboj has taken each 1⃣0⃣ Kerala wickets successful the 1st innings successful #RanjiTrophy 🙌

He's conscionable the 6th Indian bowler to execute this feat successful First-Class cricket & lone the 3rd successful Ranji Trophy 👏

Scorecard: https://t.co/SeqvmjOSUW@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/mMACNq4MAD

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) November 15, 2024

“As I played much cricket, I realised my spot is besides to deed the bully length. My tallness is six feet 2 inches and due to the fact that of that, I make the other bounce arsenic well. When I get the shot successful my hand, my main nonsubjective remains to deed the apical of the disconnected stump astatine slightest 5 times successful an over,” helium adds.

Kamboj burst onto the country erstwhile helium took 17 wickets successful 10 games and helped Haryana assistance the Vijay Hazare Trophy Trophy successful 2023. On the backmost of that performance, helium bagged an IPL declaration with Mumbai Indians and played 3 games.

“At the MI camp, I got the accidental to walk clip with Jasprit Bumrah. I consciousness those interactions improved maine arsenic a bowler. The 1 happening that struck maine is erstwhile helium said ‘A bowler indispensable person much than 1 program to get a batter out. He ever utilized to accidental ever travel for a lucifer with bully preparation. A skipper tin acceptable the tract but it is you, who volition person to execute your plans. Those are invaluable learnings for me,” helium recalls.

Earlier this year, Kamboj picked up 8 for 69 portion playing for India C against India B successful the Duleep Trophy match, which was the champion first-class figures until this match. Sachin Rana says Kamboj is simply a precise uncommon bowler, who doesn’t conflict portion shuffling the formats. “He played Duleep Trophy, past 1 Ranji Trophy, and went to Oman for the Emerging Asia Cup, which was a T20 tourney and present helium is backmost playing the red-ball. He doesn’t attraction astir the format. You springiness him the ball, helium volition get you the wickets,” says Rana.

“He has truthful overmuch assurance successful his accomplishment sets. It is not thing new. Right from the U-14 days, helium has ne'er shied distant from bowling longer spells. If a skipper volition support throwing the shot astatine him, without asking the question helium volition proceed to bowl,” adds Rana.

Kamboj dedicates his 10-fer to his father, who has been battling “seizures” successful the past decade.

“I americium precise adjacent to him. He was the 1 who wanted maine to go a cricketer but helium has ne'er seen maine playing. He has been getting these seizure attacks for galore years now. He does inquire maine a batch of questions astir my cricket erstwhile I spell home. After this match, erstwhile I volition spell home, I privation to manus this shot to him,” helium says.

The youngster is not perturbed astir the hype that this 10-fer volition bring into his life. He says, “I bowled good and got my reward. I don’t deliberation it volition bring immoderate changes. I conscionable privation to amended my accomplishment sets, thing else. We person got a agelong play ahead. After this match, we volition beryllium playing Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare and past the past limb of the Ranji Trophy, followed by the IPL. There is nary clip to remainder and observe this milestone.”

Brief score: Kerala 291 each retired successful 116.1 overs (Akshay Chandran 59, Sachin Baby 52; Anshul Kamboj 10/49) vs Haryana 139 for 7 successful 61 overs (Ankit Kumar 27; MD Nidheesh 3/37). Haryana way by 152 runs.