CSK pacer added to India squad as cover ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test: Reports

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Haryana pacer Anshul Kamboj has been drafted into the Indian squad ahead of the fourth Test against England in the ongoing five-match series. The penultimate Test is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, July 23, at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester.

The development comes in the wake of left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh sustaining an injury to his bowling arm while attempting to stop a ball during a net session on Thursday, July 17. The incident left him needing stitches on his hand. According to The Indian Express, a BCCI source said:

“Arshdeep has a deep cut and has had stitches, he will take at least ten days to get completely fit. The selectors have decided to add Kamboj in the squad.”

Meanwhile, Anshul Kamboj was part of the two India A matches against the England Lions in the lead-up to the ongoing Test series. In the first game, the right-arm pacer returned figures of 1/69 in a single innings and chipped in with 23 runs.

In the second match, the Haryana cricketer impressed with bowling figures of 2/56 and 2/6 across two innings and also remained unbeaten on 51 in the visitors’ second innings.

In first-class cricket, Anshul has played 24 matches, taking 79 wickets at an average of 22.88 and a strike rate of 44.2, including two five-wicket hauls. His best figures of 10/49 came against Kerala in the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy, making him only the third bowler in the tournament’s history to claim all 10 wickets in an innings.

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Injury concerns and selection dilemmas haunt India before must-win clash

Team India head into the fourth Test in Manchester facing a must-win situation, trailing 1-2 in the five-match series. Ahead of this crucial encounter, the team management is grappling with several selection dilemmas.

Captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir must make a strategic decision regarding Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion, as the pace spearhead is expected to feature in only one of the remaining two Tests.

Adding to the uncertainty is the unclear availability of Akash Deep. The right-arm seamer is reportedly dealing with a groin niggle and did not bowl during India’s net session before the team departed for Manchester.

Further compounding the concerns, vice-captain Rishabh Pant injured his left index finger during the third Test. It remains uncertain whether he will take up wicketkeeping duties or play solely as a specialist batter in the upcoming match.