'In England, his speed was close to 127-130' – Sunil Gavaskar lauds Anshul Kamboj's spell in 1st ODI

November 4, 2026

During the opening fixture of the series on November 4, 2026, Indian fast bowler Anshul Kamboj delivered a standout performance against New Zealand. He claimed two wickets while conceding a mere 22 runs across his full quota of 10 overs, maintaining an exceptional economy rate of 2.20 that featured 46 dot balls and a pair of maidens.

This economical spell earned him the Player of the Match accolade and set a milestone for the fewest runs allowed by any Indian bowler in a complete 10-over ODI assignment since 2016. Former national team captain Sunil Gavaskar analyzed the display, observing that Kamboj's pace had noticeably increased from 127-130 km/h during a prior tour of England to exceeding 135 km/h in New Zealand.

Gavaskar credited this jump in velocity to enhanced physical conditioning and mental rhythm, noting that the bowler maintained strict discipline by exclusively targeting the off-stump channel without delivering a single ball on the middle or leg stumps. The pundit also pointed out that favorable conditions at the venue, which offered seam movement and extra bounce, compounded the difficulties faced by opposing batters.