Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Pacy Kamboj rattles Kerala, locks in on historic 10-wicket haul

After claiming all eight wickets to fall in his side’s match against Kerala, Anshul Kamboj will look to become only the third player to achieve the feat of taking all 10 wickets in a Ranji Trophy innings.

File photo: Anshul Kamboj started day 2 with three wickets in his kitty and would add five more as he hustled the Kerala batters into making mistakes with his pace.  | Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B/The Hindu

Anshul Kamboj is a restless figure without the ball in his hand. The Haryana fast bowler often paces at the boundary line, plotting his next move with the cherry, as his bowling colleagues have a go.

On Thursday, Kamboj managed to channel the entirety of his twitchy energy onto the ball, as he ran through the Kerala batting order, claiming all the eight wickets to fall in his side’s Ranji Trophy match at the Chaudhary Bansi Lal Stadium.

The 23-year-old started the day with three wickets in his kitty and would add five more as he hustled the Kerala batters into making mistakes with his pace.

A change in approach from the opening day saw Kamboj attack the stumps more often. This ploy bore fruit as he managed to castle two Kerala batters and claim an LBW dismissal today.

“Yesterday we bowled a little too outside the off stump. We could have had more wickets, considering the way the ball was moving. So, today I bowled a little straighter so that the batter plays every ball,” said Kamboj after the day’s play.

Kerala though managed to withstand Kamboj’s stirring display with the ball, with the side inching closer to the 300-run mark. The Haryana pacer believes this Lahli pitch is one tilting towards the batters.

“The surface has not changed from yesterday. The wicket is good and batter-friendly. The ball is coming on nicely. It’s easy for the batter to pick up loose balls and hit it. The margin of error is less for the bowlers,” said Kamboj.

Going into this domestic season, Kamboj didn’t have a First-Class fifer. But in the space of two months, he has registered two eight-wicket hauls, with the first coming in the Duleep Trophy.

“I am getting into a good rhythm this season. Last year also I played, but I didn’t get many wickets. I bowled well, but not great. I am hoping for this year will be a better one,” said Kamboj.

Growing up, Kamboj never wanted to be anything other than a fast bowler. It was a desire necessitated by his rooting in tennis ball cricket.

“I always wanted to be a fast bowler. I was a little fat growing up and I thought I had the build for a fast bowler. And of course, in tennis ball cricket, there is scope only for fast bowlers and batters. I loved the feeling of bowling a yorker or a bouncer,” says Kamboj.

Those were exactly the skills that helped Kamboj shoot to fame earlier this year after he briefly starred for Mumbai Indians in the 2024 IPL season.

The Karnal-born pacer believes he learned more from the behind-the-scenes of the tournament than from in-game experience.

“The way experienced players like [Jasprit] Bumrah prepare before big matches is something which has inspired me. Also, I have seen how well they get themselves ready for a tournament, and how they practice and prepare to perform under pressure,” added Kamboj.

With Kerala down to its last two wickets in Rohtak, Kamboj now has a glorious chance to enter the history books.

Only two players have ever achieved the feat of taking all 10 wickets in a Ranji Trophy innings – Bengal’s Premangsu Chatterjee in 1957 and Rajasthan’s Pradeep Sunderam in 1985.

Kamboj is candid enough to admit that the possibility of a ten-wicket haul entices him.

“Since such a situation [ten wickets] doesn’t come very often, I will try to get two more wickets. But if the team is getting the wickets, I am equally happy,” said Kamboj with a nervous smile.