Late call-up last week, now gets debut: Who is Anshul Kamboj, the pacer who earned Gambhir’s trust ahead of Prasidh?

Anshul Kamboj was handed a debut Test cap ahead of the fourth match of the series against England in Manchester.

Anshul Kamboj wasn’t a part of the original Test squad for the series against England, even though he produced an impressive performance for India A against England Lions in the days after the squad was announced. On Wednesday at Old Trafford, however, the fortunes changed for the young pacer from Karnal as Kamboj received his maiden India cap before the fourth Test against England.

Manchester: India's Anshul Kamboj during a warm up session before the fourth test cricket match between India and England (PTI)

Kamboj’s Test debut is the stuff of cricketing parables. Part of India A’s pace unit that toured England ahead of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, Kamboj was a standout performer despite sharing the ball with the likes of Mukesh Kumar and Harshit Rana. Yet when the final squad was named, he was overlooked.

India vs England Live Updates 4th Test Day 1

That persistence has been a defining trait for Kamboj, who took 17 wickets in 10 matches during Haryana’s triumphant Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign in 2023. His ability to exploit even subtle movement drew attention from IPL scouts; he was initially signed by Mumbai Indians in 2024 but was traded to Chennai Super Kings ahead of this season, where he played eight matches, claimed eight wickets, and kept an economy rate of exactly 8.

As injuries piled up in the Indian camp, Arshdeep Singh, Akash Deep, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, all ruled out, the management called Kamboj up to join the squad ahead of the Manchester Test. It showed the team management's faith in the young pacer that he was picked ahead of Prasidh Krishna, who had played in the opening two Tests of the series. The 24-year-old pacer from Haryana was handed his cap by Deep Dasgupta.

3 changes in the team

Kamboj joins a new-look Indian XI under the leadership of Shubman Gill, with Sai Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur also slotting in. England captain Ben Stokes won a fourth consecutive toss and opted to bowl first under overcast conditions at Old Trafford.

With India trailing 1-2 in the series, this Test is a must-win to keep their hopes for a series win alive. At the same time, it may also mark the turning of a generational page in Indian cricket. And Anshul Kamboj is right in the middle of it.