Anil Kumble is a former Indian cricketer, widely regarded as one of the greatest spin bowlers in the history of the game. A right-arm leg-break bowler known primarily for his accuracy, bounce and pace through the air rather than prodigious turn, he represented India across all formats and went on to captain the national side. He later served as the head coach of the Indian men's cricket team and as the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket Committee.
Key facts
| Full name | Anil Kumble |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 October 1970, Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Role | Right-arm leg-break bowler, lower-order batter |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Domestic team | Karnataka |
| IPL franchise | Royal Challengers Bangalore (player and later mentor) |
| Test debut | 9 August 1990, vs England, Manchester |
| ODI debut | 25 April 1990, vs Sri Lanka, Sharjah |
| Test captain of India | 2007–2008 |
| India head coach | 2016–2017 |
Background and early life
Anil Kumble was born on 17 October 1970 in Bangalore (now Bengaluru), Karnataka. He studied at Holy Saint English School and National College, Basavanagudi, and later trained as a mechanical engineer at the Rashtreeya Vidyalaya College of Engineering (RVCE), Bangalore. He began playing competitive cricket as a teenager with the Young Cricketers club in Bangalore and rose rapidly through age-group ranks before making his first-class debut for Karnataka in the 1989–90 Ranji Trophy season.
International career
Kumble made his One Day International debut against Sri Lanka in Sharjah in April 1990 and his Test debut against England at Old Trafford, Manchester, in August 1990. Over a career spanning nearly two decades, he became the mainstay of India's bowling attack at home and a key contributor abroad.
Ten wickets in an innings
On 7 February 1999, against Pakistan at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, Kumble took all ten wickets in the second innings, finishing with figures of 10 for 74. This made him only the second bowler in Test history, after England's Jim Laker, to take all ten wickets in a Test innings.
Bowling milestones
- First Indian bowler to take 600 wickets in Test cricket.
- Finished his Test career with 619 wickets, the highest by any Indian and at the time third-highest overall, behind Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne.
- Took 337 wickets in One Day Internationals.
- Recorded his only Test century, 110 not out, against England at The Oval in August 2007.
Captaincy
Kumble was appointed Test captain of India in November 2007, leading the side in 14 Test matches. His captaincy tenure included a closely contested series in Australia (2007–08) and a home series victory over Australia in 2008. He retired from international cricket in November 2008, after the third Test against Australia at the Feroz Shah Kotla, the same ground where he had taken his ten-wicket haul.
Domestic and franchise cricket
Kumble was a long-serving captain and senior player for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and led the franchise to the final of the 2009 edition held in South Africa. He later served the franchise in mentoring and head-coaching roles.
Coaching and administration
After retirement, Kumble took up several leadership roles in Indian and global cricket:
- President of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).
- Chairman of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Bengaluru.
- Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee (2012–2020), in which capacity he was involved in shaping playing regulations and recommendations on issues such as ball-tampering and the Decision Review System.
- Head coach of the Indian men's national team from June 2016 to June 2017, during which India won home Test series against New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia.
- Head coach and director of cricket operations of the IPL franchise Punjab Kings (formerly Kings XI Punjab) from 2020 onwards.
Honours and recognition
- Arjuna Award (1995) — for excellence in cricket.
- Padma Shri (2005) — India's fourth-highest civilian honour.
- Wisden Cricketer of the Year (1996).
- Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2015.
- The Bengaluru airport metro station and a stand at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium have been named in his honour.
Playing style and significance
Unlike traditional leg-spinners, Kumble relied less on big turn and more on flight, top-spin, accuracy, bounce and a quicker pace through the air, often clocking speeds higher than most spinners of his era. His ability to extract uneven bounce on Indian pitches made him particularly effective at home, while his stamina and control allowed him to bowl long spells and contribute in conditions usually considered unfavourable to spin. He is remembered for an enduring image from the 2002 Antigua Test against the West Indies, in which he bowled with a fractured jaw bandaged to his head and dismissed Brian Lara.
Personal life
Kumble is married to Chethana Ramatheertha, and the couple lives in Bengaluru. Outside cricket, he has been associated with wildlife conservation initiatives, particularly through the Wildlife Conservation Foundation, and has interests in photography and entrepreneurship through ventures focused on sports technology and analytics.