Anshul Kamboj Makes Unwanted IPL History: A Record-Breaking Night to Forget

A Record-Breaking Night at Ekana Stadium

In the high-stakes environment of the Indian Premier League, every bowler dreams of finding their rhythm and dismantling the opposition. However, for 25-year-old Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Anshul Kamboj, the recent encounter against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) turned into a career milestone for all the wrong reasons. During the match held at the Ekana Stadium, Kamboj became the first bowler in the tournament’s history to be hit for four consecutive sixes in an over on two separate occasions in the same game.

The Assault Begins: Mitchell Marsh’s Dominance

The trouble started early for the Haryana-based bowler during the fifth over of the match. With the Super Giants chasing a target of 188 runs, Australian powerhouse Mitchell Marsh decided to take the attack to the CSK pacer. In a display of pure aggression, Marsh hammered four successive sixes, putting the bowler under immense pressure. Although the fifth delivery was a dot ball, the final ball of the over was dispatched for a boundary, resulting in a staggering 28-run over. This set the tone for a difficult evening for Kamboj.

The Final Blow: Nicholas Pooran Seals the Win

If the fifth over was a nightmare, the later stages of the game provided no relief. As the Lucknow Super Giants closed in on their target, needing only 24 runs from four overs, Nicholas Pooran took over the duty of dismantling the bowling attack. Pooran displayed his explosive range, hitting Kamboj for four sixes in an over to effectively seal the game for his team. By the time his spell concluded, Kamboj had conceded 63 runs from just 2.4 overs, failing to claim a single wicket. The match ended in a seven-wicket victory for the Lucknow Super Giants.

Expert Analysis: Defending the Bowler

Despite the poor statistics, former CSK player and IPL veteran Ambati Rayudu offered a more balanced perspective on the night’s events. Speaking on ESPN Cricinfo’s Time-out show, the 39-year-old insisted that one bad outing does not define a career. Rayudu noted: “He has been bowling well this season, and a bad day is just around the corner.”

Rayudu went on to provide technical insight into the performance: “All those balls that Anshul bowled to Marsh were decent balls. Except for the last delivery, it was incredible batting by Mitch Marsh. It is unfortunate he bowled to two players who are coming into good form with the bat. Maybe a few Chennai players could have gone up to the bowler and offered him some encouragement and asked him to take his time before running into bowl.”

Where Does This Rank in IPL History?

To provide context, cricket fans often look at the worst bowling figures in the history of the Indian Premier League. Anshul Kamboj’s spell of 0/63 from 2.4 overs currently sits as the 22nd-worst bowling performance in the league’s history. The record for the most runs conceded in a single IPL match belongs to English pacer Jofra Archer, who, while playing for the Rajasthan Royals in 2025, conceded 76 runs in four wicketless overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Other notable entries on this list include:

• Mohammed Shami: 0/75 for SRH vs PBKS (2025)
• William O’Rourke: LSG’s former pacer
• Mohit Sharma
• Basil Thampi

For a young bowler like Kamboj, the focus will undoubtedly shift to recovery and mental resilience. As Rayudu suggested, the class shown by opponents like Marsh and Pooran is a testament to the high quality of batting in the league, and every bowler—regardless of their talent—is bound to face such challenges throughout a long and demanding season.