"It's Similar To Haryana": Anshul Kamboj Feels Right At Home In New Zealand Conditions

India pacer Anshul Kamboj says he has felt right at home during his maiden tour of New Zealand, with the cold weather and seam-friendly pitches reminding him of the winter conditions he grew up playing in at Haryana's famous Lahli ground. Having played in Lahli during the peak winter months since the age of 13, Kamboj said he has enjoyed bowling on the lively surfaces at Eden Park in Auckland and Hnry Stadium in Wellington during the first two ODIs. Drafted into the side as a replacement, Kamboj troubled New Zealand's batters with his disciplined line, length and ability to hit the deck hard. He returned figures of 2/22 and 2/25 in the opening two matches.

"I started playing when I was 13 years old. I play for Haryana, so the weather and wickets here are quite similar to what we get back home," Kamboj told the host broadcaster.

The young seamer stressed that accuracy remains the key, even on pitches that offer assistance to fast bowlers.

"It's all about accuracy and bowling the right line and length according to the wicket and the match situation. It's working for me at the moment, so I'm just focusing on that," he said.

Kamboj added that his appearance for India A before the ODI series helped him understand the conditions and identify the right areas to bowl in New Zealand.

"It was mainly about acclimatising to the weather. The wicket had a bit of nip in it, and I wanted to understand the right lengths and areas to bowl. I'm just concentrating on that," he said.

The IPL 2026 season proved to be a breakthrough campaign for Kamboj, who picked up 21 wickets in 14 matches for Chennai Super Kings.

While MS Dhoni did not feature in a match, Kamboj said being around the legendary former India captain, along with receiving guidance from former CSK head coach Stephen Fleming, greatly aided his development.

"It was a great learning experience for me, and I'm still learning every day. My focus is on improving in the right way, not thinking too much about results, but concentrating on what I need to do both on and off the field," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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