“I was surprised not to see him” - Sourav Ganguly opens up on major exclusion on England tour

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has backed Anshul Kamboj to make a strong comeback after having a disastrous Test debut in Manchester, which India went on to draw. Notably, Mukesh returned with figures of 1/89 in the fourth Test against England.

However, Ganguly wants Kamboj to get at least five to eight Tests before making a judgment in his case. Also, the former BCCI president stated that he was surprised not to see Mukesh Kumar part of the Indian squad for the England tour.

Ahead of the start of the fourth Test, India was marred by multiple injuries. While Akash Deep nursed a groin niggle, Arshdeep Singh injured his bowling hand. On the other hand, Nitish Reddy was ruled out with a knee injury. 

Interestingly, India called up Anshul Kamboj, who had a decent India A vs England Lions series, for the fourth Test and straightaway gave him a Test cap. However, Kamboj failed to live up to the expectations, leaking runs at a quick pace.

"Don't judge Anshul on one Test. He is a young kid, and he has picked wickets in domestic cricket. Give him five to eight Tests before passing a judgment on him on how good he is," Ganguly said in a press conference on Thursday.

Furthermore, Ganguly also talked about Mukesh Kumar, who scalped three wickets against England Lions in May 2025. Though Mukesh scalped 210 wickets from 52 first-class games, he wasn't considered for the England tour, which surprised Dada. However, he is confident of Mukesh getting opportunities in the future. 

"I was surprised not to see Mukesh Kumar in the squad. His red-ball numbers in domestic cricket are phenomenal. These conditions would have been suitable for him. Hopefully, in future, he will get his chance," he added.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at Sky365 and download the Sky365 App to start betting today!