Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj (AFP Photo)
India have picked five fast bowlers in their 16-member squad for the series. So that comes in handy for Anshul.
“In a country like New Zealand, in Test match cricket, you will need a workhorse, and I think he is the man who could be your workhorse – someone like a Kamboj, who can come and bowl you those 15 overs and block one end up, especially when the going gets tough, when it’s very windy and things of that sort,” Shastri said on the Sony Sports Network. He is accurate,” Shastri said. They are Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep and Kamboj. “He can bat as well. In the middle overs in a Test match or in an ODI game, you have got to have bowlers who have the ability to take wickets. “He comes across as a bloke who has done a lot of bowling in domestic cricket for Haryana and across formats. I think he will be very useful in these conditions. Sometimes you have got to pick blokes as horses for courses. He is the kind of guy who hits the bat.
Kamboj made his ODI debut against the West Indies on October 3, 2026. He then impressed in the first ODI against New Zealand in Auckland on November 4, taking 2 wickets for 22 runs. He continued his good form in the second ODI in Wellington on November 7, picking up 2 wickets for 25 runs.
For New Zealand, South Africa, and England, he becomes a good choice,” Shastri said. His performance earned him the Player of the Match award. “More importantly, if there is something there in the surface, the ball will nibble, he hits the bat, and he can get the ball to go both ways and surprise the batter. I think a welcome addition. You have got to build your bench strength as a fast bowling unit, and I think he is one of them.