Anshul Kamboj explains why New Zealand feels like Haryana: ‘Similar weather and wickets’
Anshul Kamboj (Image Agency) NEW DELHI: Anshul Kamboj may be experiencing New Zealand conditions for the first time, but the Indian pacer is hardly unfamiliar. The cool weather and seafarer-friendly pitches reminded him of winters in Haryana, where he honed his bowling skills from the age of 13. That familiarity seems to be working in his favor and Kamboj has made an impressive start to his first ODI assignment in New Zealand.Coming into the playing eleven as a change, Kamboj is troubling the New Zealand batsmen with his accuracy, disciplined line and hard length. He returned figures of 2/22 in the first ODI at Eden Park and followed it up with 2/25 in the second match, making an immediate impression with the ball.“I started playing when I was 13 years old. I play for Haryana. So in Haryana it’s like similar weather and wickets,” Kamboj told the hosts.Having grown up bowling in conditions similar to those in New Zealand, the 25-year-old looked comfortable on the bowling lanes at Auckland’s Eden Park and Wellington’s Basin Reserve.
Accuracy remains Kamboja’s greatest weapon
Even though the conditions suited his style, Kamboj doesn’t want to rely solely on assists from the pitches. The Haryana pacer believes that accuracy and adapting to the demands of the surface and the match situation remain crucial to his success.“It’s about accuracy and the perfect line and length, depending on the goal and the situation. It’s working for me at the moment so I’m just focusing on that,” he said.His preparation also included a trip to India A, which helped him understand the conditions and determine the correct length of bowling in New Zealand.“Actually it was just about acclimatising to the weather. The wicket was a bit brisk and I just wanted to understand the right lengths and the right areas where I need to bowl. I’m just focusing on that,” explained Kamboj.Early returns suggest the preparation has paid off, with his disciplined approach making him an effective option in India’s pace attack.
A CSK stint adds to the learning curve
Kamboj’s impressive international start comes on the back of a breakthrough IPL 2026 season with Chennai Super Kings, where he picked up 21 wickets in 14 matches.The opportunity to be around Mahendra Singh Dhoni and former head coach Stephen Fleming during his time at CSK also contributed to his development. Kamboj described the experience as an important learning phase and stressed that he remains focused on improving rather than getting carried away by results.“It’s actually been a good learning experience for me and I’m still learning a lot. I’m just making sure I’m learning the right way, not thinking too much about the results but focusing on what I need and what I need to do on the pitch as well,” he said.For Kamboj, representing India was another special milestone, especially after years of working his way up to domestic cricket.“I’m actually excited and also very happy because I’m playing for my national team. It’s everyone’s dream to play for their national team, so it’s quite exciting,” he said.Kamboj has already had two impressive performances and will be looking to carry his accuracy and confidence into the rest of the New Zealand tour.
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