In a city where cinema, politics, and cricket are the holy trinity, the lines blurred in the most comedic fashion on Sunday morning. Hours before Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were set to face Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a high-stakes, must-win clash at Chepauk, social media erupted over a viral image from the oath-taking ceremony of Tamil Nadu’s new Chief Minister, Joseph Vijay.
The source of the frenzy? A security official standing prominently on the dais, whose striking resemblance to CSK fast bowler Anshul Kamboj sent fans into a tailspin. As the image of the “policeman Kamboj” began trending, veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin-never one to miss a beat-poked fun at his teammate with his trademark wit. CSK vs LSG: Updates | Scorecard
“Duty always comes first, but on a must-win match day #CSKVLSG, it’s a bit too much,” Ashwin posted on X.
“It’s a day game, get a cab & get to Chepauk ASAP Anshul Kamboj. Big Game.”
Chennai Super Kings also joined in on the fun, confirming cheekily that Anshul Kamboj was indeed with the squad, preparing for the big game.
“Don’t worry, Anshul Kamboj is here,” the Super Kings tweeted with a video of him bowling.
THE MAN OF THE HOUR
While the man on the dais was undoubtedly a dedicated member of the security detail, the confusion speaks to Kamboj’s skyrocketing profile in Chennai. Since being roped in for Rs 3.40 crore, the Haryana pacer has become a vital cog in the Super Kings’ machinery.
In IPL 2026, Kamboj has emerged as the breakthrough domestic fast bowler, spearheading an attack often depleted by international departures and injuries.
Heading into Sunday’s game, Kamboj has already scalped 17 wickets in 10 matches, including a match-winning 3/22 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. His ability to extract extra bounce even from his relatively short frame and move the ball both ways has made him Ruturaj Gaikwad’s go-to option in the Powerplay.
The timing of the viral photo added to the drama. CSK currently sits in a precarious position on the points table, making the 3:30 PM showdown a crucial clash as they remain in the race for the playoffs.
CSk won the toss on Sunday, opting to bowl. There was a brief spell of shower before the toss and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad confirmed that it influenced his call to bowl first.
CSK’s bowling attack was indeed led by Kamboj while Lucknow made two changes to their XI, bringing back fit-again Josh Inglis and fast bowler Avesh Khan.
TEAM NEWS, CSK vs LSG
Chennai Super Kings – Sanju Samson (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Urvil Patel, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary.
Impact Players for CSK – Gurjapneet Singh, Prashant Veer, Matthew Short, Sarfaraz Khan, Akash Madhwal.
Lucknow Super Giants – Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis, Nicholas Pooran, Aiden Markram, Rishabh Pant (C/WK), Akshat Raghuwanshi, Himmat Singh, Shahbaz Ahamad, Mohammad Shami, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Singh.
Impact Players for LSG – Avesh Khan, Mukul Choudhary, Abdul Samad, Manimaran Siddharth, Mayank Yadav.
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– Ends
