'It's similar to Haryana' – Anshul Kamboj feels at ease in New Zealand conditions
At Auckland on November 4, 2026, Anshul Kamboj took 2 for 22 in India's first ODI against New Zealand and earned Player of the Match honours. He followed it up with figures of 2 for 25 in the second ODI in Wellington on November 7. The young pacer made his ODI debut on October 3, 2026, against West Indies and has since impressed in the New Zealand series, where he has drawn comfort from familiar playing conditions.
Kamboj's background in Haryana domestic cricket has given him an advantage in understanding the weather patterns and pitch characteristics he now encounters in New Zealand. His early exposure to similar conditions at home has helped him settle quickly into international cricket.
"I started playing when I was 13 years old. I play for Haryana, so the weather and wickets here are quite similar to what we get back home," Kamboj told the host broadcaster.
Precision and adaptability in bowling
Bowling with precision and adjusting his approach to each pitch has been central to his early success. Kamboj emphasises the importance of reading match situations and adapting his line and length accordingly.
"It's all about accuracy and bowling the right line and length according to the wicket and the match situation. It's working for me at the moment, so I'm just focusing on that," Kamboj said.
Before the ODI series, Kamboj played for India A in a first-class match against New Zealand A, where he took 3 for 52 across 20 overs in the first innings and 1 for 51 in 14 overs in the second. That exposure proved invaluable in helping him understand the conditions and identify the areas where he needed to focus his bowling.
"It was mainly about acclimatising to the weather. The wicket had a bit of nip in it, and I wanted to understand the right lengths and areas to bowl. I'm just concentrating on that," Kamboj said.
During the IPL 2026 season, Kamboj took 21 wickets across 14 matches for Chennai Super Kings. He benefited from working alongside MS Dhoni and learning from Stephen Fleming, the former CSK head coach, experiences that have shaped his development as a bowler.
"It was a great learning experience for me, and I'm still learning every day. My focus is on improving in the right way, not thinking too much about results, but concentrating on what I need to do both on and off the field," Kamboj said.
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