Anshul Kamboj (Image Credit: BCCI/IPL)

Chennai: Chennai Super Kings It’s mid-season, but medium pace bowler Anshul Kamboj appears to be their breakout star. With 17 wickets at an economy rate of 7.54 in nine matches, including 3-32 against Mumbai Indians on Saturday, Kamboj has been the leader of the CSK attack in both the powerplay and slog overs. With the wickets of Robin Minz and Hardik Pandya in the 18th and 20th overs at Chepauk on Saturday, Kamboj became the first bowler to take 10 wickets in the death overs this season.The right-arm fast bowler is treating the death overs like a finishing task, which he has practiced to perfection. He is known to get around the stumps extensively, especially for right-handed batsmen, changing his length according to the stage of the game and regularly bowls yorkers.CSK head coach Stephen Fleming doesn’t think Kamboj’s heroics come as a surprise. “Last year, he was really good. He has worked hard with Eric Simmons (bowling coach) on the concept of deathballing and he has worked throughout the year to master it,” Fleming said.In the last IPL season, Kamboj took eight wickets in eight matches at an economy of 8.00. Shortly after, he stepped onto the biggest stage, making his Test debut for India, but his return against England was not strong enough to keep him safe for long.However, this season, he has returned with more vigor and has taken up a central role in CSK’s pace attack after Khalil Ahmed’s injury.Fleming said Kamboja worked on angles and execution in pre-season. “During the pre-season, he bowled with open wickets and we got an understanding of the angles – what he can and can’t do from certain sides of the wicket and it has worked out well,” he said.Cricket in India is on the rise across all formats after the IPL and Kamboj’s stellar performances may soon push him back into the national fast bowling setup. But for Kamboj, team performance is more important than individual achievements. Before the match against MI, he had said, “My entire focus is on how to contribute to the team’s victory.”CSK will be in a winning position from Tuesday and the team will hope that Kamboj will stick to his guns.