Chennai Super Kings star Anshul Kamboj has been called up to Team India as a replacement cover for the injured Arshdeep Singh, according to NDTV sources. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee has included the Haryana and Chennai Super Kings pacer in the squad for the ongoing England tour.
India faced a major setback ahead of the fourth Test in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series when Arshdeep Singh sustained an injury. The fast bowler reportedly suffered a cut on his bowling hand during a nets session in Manchester, which required stitches, making him unlikely to feature in the upcoming Manchester Test.
In response to this development, the selection committee acted quickly and added Kamboj to the team as cover for Arshdeep.
Chennai Super Kings: Kamboj’s Inclusion a Strategic Move Amid Uncertainty Over Bumrah’s Availability
With team management still undecided about Jasprit Bumrah’s participation in the fourth Test at Old Trafford and some other bowlers struggling to make an impact, adding Anshul Kamboj to the squad proved to be a crucial decision.
Kamboj impressed the selectors with his performances during the India A vs England A two-match unofficial Test series. The Chennai Super Kings pacer is not only a challenging bowler to face but also contributes with the bat—qualities that align well with head coach Gautam Gambhir’s preference for multi-skilled players, making Kamboj’s inclusion a clear choice.
Chennai Super Kings As per the agreement between the Indian team management and the national selection committee, Bumrah is scheduled to play only three out of the five Tests to manage his workload. He featured in the first Test, taking a five-wicket haul in the first innings, missed the second Test (replaced by Akash Deep), Chennai Super Kings, and returned for the third match where he again claimed a five-wicket haul in the second innings. Despite his efforts, India lost narrowly by 22 runs.
Chennai Super Kings: Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh, who has yet to make his Test debut but has played eight ODIs, 63 T20Is, and 21 First-Class matches, remains unavailable due to injury.
Though an official announcement is still awaited, Team India is expected to choose from Kamboj, Shardul Thakur, or Prasidh Krishna if Bumrah is rested for the Manchester Test.
