Barring the first couple of letters, there is — by no stretch of imagination or poetic license — any true resemblance between Kalashnikov and Karnal. The former — an assault rifle, named after its designer, Mikhail Kalashnikov. The latter — a city in northern Haryana.
And yet, these seemingly distant worlds converge at an unlikely intersection — one you might have glimpsed in the blue of Mumbai Indians, the yellow of Chennai Super Kings, and now, in the whites of India as they take on England in the fourth Test today.
Anshul Kamboj, the 24-year-old pacer who hails from Karnal, happens to wear number 47 on the back of his shirt, alongside his initials. That is — AK 47.
The idea was not Kamboj’s, but that of his coach, Satish Rana. Speaking with The Quint on what could be the eve of his ward’s Test debut, Rana shares:
Anshul was selected for the India U-19 team. I got a call him saying ‘Sir, they want me to pick a number, what should I pick?’ I told him that he is built like a gun anyway, and his initials are AK, so it is only right that he picks 47.Satish Rana, Anshul Kamboj's coach
The Early Days
That number, that jersey, is the culmination of eight long years of unwavering discipline and unforgiving grind.
Born in the village of Fazilpur, Anshul began making the daily 80-kilometre round-trip to Rana’s academy with his father, Udham Singh, at the age of just 11. A farmer by trade and a cricket lover by obsession, Singh was rarely found away from a television set during India matches.
Anshul was not particularly in shape as a kid — Rana calls him ‘healthy bachcha,’ but might have called him rotund instead — and Singh found no better way of losing weight but playing cricket.
Anshul was 11 when his father brought him to me. His father was into cricket. Right from Day 1, the kid has been very focused. He knew what his goal was — to play cricket for India — and he was willing to do whatever it took for him to achieve his dream. He came from a far-flung village that is 40 kilometres away from my academy, and travelled 80 kilometres each day just for cricket.Satish Rana, Anshul Kamboj's coach
He had decided to be a pacer even before coming to Rana, although he learnt the art of batting at the academy.
His father wanted him to be a pace bowler, so he had also gotten into pace bowling. When I looked at him, I thought with the way he is built — tall and muscular — he will excel in pace bowling. But I also knew he can do good with the bat as well, so I told him only bowling won't cut it for me, and you need to become an all-rounder.Satish Rana, Anshul Kamboj's coach
A Brother's Memoir
Before being enrolled in the academy, though, Anshul spent his days playing on the streets of Fazilpur. One of his teammates used to be his brother, Sanyam Kamboj. Having recently written his B.Com examinations, Sanyam is eagerly awaiting his brother’s debut in blue.
He reminisces:
It was my father who got us into cricket. He loved the game; he would never miss a match where India were playing. Me and Anshul started playing on the streets, but it never meant more than a fun exercise for me, whereas he became really serious about cricket. So my father got him admitted to an academy, and he used to go with him every day.Sanyam Kamboj, Anshul Kamboj's brother
What Set Anshul Kamboj Apart
Anshul’s senior team call-up came on the back of an encouraging performance for India A in their two unofficial Tests against England Lions, where he scalped five wickets. Prior to that, he had picked eight wickets for Chennai Super Kings in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Rana believes the pacer has reached the stage where he now finds himself in for two major reasons.
Anshul has reached this stage because of two major qualities — dedication and discipline. I don't remember him taking a chutti ever. He was always at ground, and though he came from far away, he was here before anyone else. I used to schedule fitness drills at 5 AM, and Anshul would be here by 4:45 AM every day. His day began with working on his fitness, then he will work on both his batting and bowling, and finish it off with fielding drills. By the time he was done, it would already be evening but you could be certain that he would turn up again at 4:45 AM the next day.Satish Rana, Anshul Kamboj's coach
during a Ranji Trophy match against Kerala, he claimed all ten wickets in an innings, becoming only the third player to do so. Of his 79 first-class wickets for Haryana, 10 came in that innings against Kerala.
Despite the fame and attention IPL got Anshul, Sanyam believes the 10-wicket haul remains his best-ever performance. Rana, though, had spotted the spark long before the records began falling.
While there was never any questions on his focus, the first time I realised the kid was special was when he picked multiple fifers at a district-level U-14 tournament. It got him into the U-16 Haryana side, and then, he was called up to the NCA. There has not been any looking back ever since.Satish Rana, Anshul Kamboj's coach
Learning Under Legends
Anshul made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians in 2024, picking up two wickets in three matches. But his initiation to the big leagues, however, happened a year before, at Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Not many might know this, but before he played for MI and CSK, he was actually a net bowler for RCB during IPL 2023. That was his initiation into the world of IPL, and it helped him grow as a player. He used to tell me how after every session, Virat Kohli would call him aside and suggest where he can improve as a bowler. That stint with RCB has had a big role in Anshul's growth.Satish Rana, Anshul Kamboj's coach
While Kohli was one of his initial mentors, Kamboj realised his potential under another Indian great — MS Dhoni.
Dhoni helped him a lot in terms of the mental side of things. His suggestion has always been to keep a cool mind, not worry about what is not working in his favour, but rather, try to control what he can — his line and length. He was very impressed with how Anshul performed this season, and hopefully, he will continue performing for CSK.Satish Rana, Anshul Kamboj's coach
Stoic & Calm
If at all Anshul earns his debut cap today, he can expect the hardest of challenges. Not that any debut is a cakewalk, let alone a Test debut, but it won’t help his cause that the English tracks have been placid, and there has been a prolonged discourse regarding the Dukes ball losing its shape. In simpler terms, there will be runs to concede.
Rana, though, is confident.
He had asked me for suggestions before leaving for England. I told him to do what he has been doing for the last 13 years, that is, be consistent with his line and length and keep on hitting the hard lengths. Yes, we are seeing the pitches in England are helping the batters and there is not much for the bowlers, but Anshul has never had any troubles with grinding it out, so I am optimistic about his performance.Satish Rana, Anshul Kamboj's coach
Rana’s confidence comes from Anshul’s mental fortitude.
The kid is mentally very strong, so I am certain he will not be overwhelmed by the occasion. Even in the IPL, he had to bowl to Sunrisers Hyderabad batters on his debut, and we all know how they were batting. Yet, he was never fazed by the occasion. He stuck to his plans and bowled well, so I feel he will do the same in England.Satish Rana, Anshul Kamboj's coach
The coach does admit that there was one specific instance where Anshul’s vulnerabilities were exposed, except he did exceedingly well to return ever so stronger.
It was not always this way. Anshul was supposed to be in India's squad for the 2020 U-19 World Cup. He had already made his debut for India U-19 and he was consistently bowling well. But unfortunately, he had troubles with injuries and could not make the cut. That was the one instance where I saw him devastated. For a brief period, he was inconsolable, and we all felt bad. But he managed to conjure up the strength to not give up and continue fighting for his goal.Satish Rana, Anshul Kamboj's coach
And Now, We Wait
Anshul is usually stoic, but Rana is understandably excited ahead of the match. He is hopeful of a good performance, but what he knows for certain is that the outcome won’t deter Anshul.
I am optimistic. Anshul has given me many reasons to be optimistic. But what I do know for a fact is that regardless of what happens, he will still be the down-to-earth person that he always is. He will still come around to share his learnings with the kids, and try to hone his skills by asking his coaches. He is now an IPL player and is on the verge of his India debut, but it feels as if he is still that 11-year-old kid who wanted nothing more than an opportunity of playing at the big stages.Satish Rana, Anshul Kamboj's coach
Sanyam adds:
This is how our father brought us up. He told us never to disrespect anyone and always stay humble. Anshul hasn't let go of his roots, so he remembers our father's teachings.Sanyam Kamboj, Anshul Kamboj's brother
The younger brother has managed to have a conversation prior to the match, although the family does not have any clarity on Anshul’s involvement in Manchester.
Everyone is happy at our house. To be honest, we have no clue as to whether he will actually make his debut or not. I spoke with him yesterday, and he told me that he does not know whether he will play, but if he does, he is confident that he will play well. We all want that. There can't be anything prouder than my brother winning a Test match for India.Sanyam Kamboj, Anshul Kamboj's brother