Anil Kumble facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Anil Kumble

Kumble in October 2019
Personal information
Born	(1970-10-17) 17 October 1970 (age 54) Bangalore, Mysore State (now Karnataka), India
Nickname	Jumbo
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Leg break
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	India (1990–2008)
Test debut (cap 192)	9 August 1990 v England
Last Test	29 October 2008 v Australia
ODI debut (cap 78)	25 April 1990 v Sri Lanka
Last ODI	19 March 2007 v Bermuda
ODI shirt no.	37 (previously 18, 8)
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1989/90–2008/09	Karnataka
1995	Northamptonshire
2000	Leicestershire
2006	Surrey
2008–2010	Royal Challengers Bangalore
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 132 271 244 380 Runs scored 2506 938 5572 1456 Batting average 17.77 10.53 21.77 11.20 100s/50s 1/5 0/0 7/17 0/0 Top score 110* 26 154* 30* Balls bowled 40,850 14,496 66,931 20,247 Wickets 619 337 1136 514 Bowling average 29.65 30.89 25.83 27.58 5 wickets in innings 35 2 72 3 10 wickets in match 8 0 20 0 Best bowling 10/74 6/12 10/74 6/12 Catches/stumpings 60/– 85/– 120/– 122/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  India ICC Cricket World Cup Runner-up 2003 South Africa-Zimbabwe-Kenya ICC Champions Trophy Winner 2002 Sri Lanka Runner-up 2000 Kenya ACC Asia Cup Winner 1995 United Arab Emirates Runner-up 1997 Sri Lanka Runner-up 2004 Sri Lanka Representing  India as Coach ICC Champions Trophy Runner-up 2017 England and Wales
Source: espncricinfo, 8 November 2016

Anil Kumble (born 17 October 1970) is a famous former Indian cricketer. He was a captain, coach, and commentator for the Indian national team. Kumble played Test and One Day International (ODI) matches for 18 years.

He was a right-arm leg spin bowler, known as one of the best bowlers ever. Kumble took 619 wickets in Test cricket. When he retired in 2008, he was the third-highest wicket-taker in Test history.

Born in Bangalore, Karnataka, Kumble loved cricket from a young age. He watched players like B. S. Chandrasekhar before becoming a professional cricketer. He started his first-class career at 19, playing for Karnataka.

Soon after, he joined the Indian team for the Austral-Asia Cup in 1990. He made his Test debut against England later that year. He played 132 Test matches and helped India win many games.

In 1999, playing against Pakistan, Kumble achieved something amazing. He took all ten wickets in one Test match innings. He was only the second player ever to do this, after England's Jim Laker.

Kumble became a regular player in the ODI team in the early 1990s. He had some of his best performances during this time. The year 1996 was very successful for him. He played in the World Cup and was the best bowler. He took 15 wickets in seven matches.

Unlike other spin bowlers, Kumble didn't make the ball turn a lot. He focused on pace, bounce, and accuracy. His nickname was "Jumbo" because his deliveries were very fast for a spinner. He was named "Cricketer of the Year" in 1993 by Indian Cricket. Three years later, he was one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year.

He was part of the Indian team that shared the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy title with Sri Lanka. In 2005, Kumble received the Padma Shri. This is India's fourth-highest civilian honor. He retired from international cricket in November 2008 after 18 years.

In October 2012, he became the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC)'s cricket committee. From 2012 to 2015, Kumble was a chief mentor for Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. In February 2015, he joined the ICC Hall of Fame. He also coached the Indian cricket team from 2016 to 2017. From 2020 to 2022, he was the head coach and director of cricket operations for the IPL team Punjab Kings.

Anil Kumble's Early Life

Anil Kumble with Sourav Ganguly.

Anil Kumble was born on 17 October 1970 in Bangalore, Karnataka. His parents, Krishna Swamy and Saroja, are from Kumbla in Kerala. He has a brother named Dinesh. His first language is Kannada.

Kumble went to Holy Saint English School for primary education. He finished Class X at National High School Basavanagudi. He started playing cricket on the streets of Bangalore. At 13, he joined a club called "Young Cricketers."

After high school, he completed Class XII at National Pre-University College Basavanagudi. He later earned a B.E degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rashtreeya Vidyalaya College of Engineering (RVCE) in 1991–92.

Kumble married Chetana in 1999. They have three children: a son named Mayas, and two daughters, Aaruni and Svasti. He is a vegetarian.

Kumble's Cricket Career

Starting His Domestic and International Journey

Kumble played his first first-class match for Karnataka on 30 November 1989. He took 4 wickets in that game. He was then chosen for India Under-19s against Pakistan Under-19s. He scored 113 runs in the first match and 76 in the second.

He made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Sharjah on 25 April 1990. This was during the Austral-Asia Cup. He played one more game in that series and took two wickets. His Test debut was in the same year when India toured England. It was the second Test at Manchester. He took 3 wickets in the first innings.

Kumble did not play any Tests again until 1992. He took 13 wickets for 138 runs in the Irani Trophy against Delhi. This helped his team win and earned him a spot in the Indian team. The team toured South Africa and Zimbabwe.

During the 1992 Indian tour of South Africa, he became known as a top spinner. He took eight wickets in the second Test. In that four-Test series, he took 18 wickets. Later that year, when England toured India, Kumble took 21 wickets in three Tests. He took seven wickets for 165 runs in the third Test at Bombay. India won that match, and he was named man of the match.

Kumble reached 50 Test wickets in just 10 matches. This was the fastest by an Indian bowler for a long time. He reached 100 Test wickets in 21 matches. This was the second fastest by an Indian bowler.

On 27 November 1993, he took six wickets for 12 runs in an ODI against the West Indies. This was in the final of the 1993 Hero Cup in Eden Gardens, Calcutta. This was the best ODI bowling record by an Indian for many years. In January 1994, Kumble took his first 10-wicket haul in a Test match. This helped India win against Sri Lanka.

In the 1995 English cricket season, Kumble played for Northamptonshire. He took 105 wickets, being the top wicket-taker that season. His best performance was against Hampshire. Wisden recognized his performance and named him one of their five Cricketers of the Year in 1996.

Success at the 1996 World Cup

The year 1996 was very successful for Kumble. He took 61 ODI wickets. Overall, he was the leading wicket-taker in 1996 with 90 wickets in Tests and ODIs combined. He was chosen for the 1996 World Cup.

He played in all seven matches for India. He was the top wicket-taker in the tournament with 15 wickets. In India's first match against Kenya, he took three wickets for 28 runs. This helped India win easily. He also took three wickets against West Indies and two against Sri Lanka.

India played Pakistan in the quarter-final. Kumble took 3 wickets for 48 runs, and India won. In the semi-final, India lost to Sri Lanka.

Setting Records and Rising in Cricket

Anil Kumble bowling in the Boxing Day Test Match at Melbourne.

In October 1996, Kumble and Javagal Srinath helped India win an exciting ODI against Australia in Bangalore. This was in the Titan Cup. They added 52 runs for the 9th wicket, helping India chase down 216 runs. India went on to win the Titan Cup.

In February 1997, India visited the West Indies. Kumble was the top wicket-taker in the Test series, with 19 wickets. Kumble was also the leading wicket-taker when Australia visited India in 1998 for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He took 23 wickets in 3 Test matches.

Kumble is one of only three bowlers ever to take all ten wickets in a Test innings. The others are Jim Laker (England, 1956) and Ajaz Patel (New Zealand, 2021). Kumble achieved this by taking 10 wickets for 74 runs. This happened against Pakistan in a Test match in Delhi in February 1999.

It is said that when Kumble had nine wickets, his teammate Javagal Srinath deliberately bowled wide. This was so Kumble could take the tenth wicket. Former player Sadagoppan Ramesh said that Srinath told him to drop a catch so Kumble could get the last wicket. This amazing performance was honored by naming a traffic circle in Bengaluru after him. He also received a car with a special license plate: KA-10-N-10.

On 6 October 2004, Kumble became the third spinner and second Indian bowler to take 400 Test wickets. He reached this milestone faster than Kapil Dev and Shane Warne. In 2006, Kumble took 6 wickets for 78 runs in the final Test against West Indies. This helped India win a historic series.

During that match, Kumble also scored 45 runs. He became the second player after Shane Warne to score 2000 runs and take over 500 Test wickets. He also holds the world record for trapping the most batsmen leg before wicket. On 10 December 2004, Kumble became India's highest wicket-taker. He passed Kapil Dev's record of 434 wickets.

Kumble played for the ACC Asian XI against ICC World XI in a charity match in 2005. This match was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.

Kumble took his 500th Test wicket in March 2006 against England. He was the first Indian and fifth overall bowler to reach this mark. After the 2007 World Cup, he announced his retirement from ODIs on 30 March.

On 10 August 2007, Kumble scored his first Test century. He made an unbeaten 110 runs against England at the Oval. It took him 117 Tests to score his first century, which is a record for taking the most matches to reach a hundred. He is the only Test cricketer to have taken all ten wickets in an innings and score a Test century in his career.

Kumble has bowled 40,850 balls in his Test career. This is the second highest number of balls bowled in Test history.

Kumble became the captain of the Indian Test team on 8 November 2007. He was the first leg spinner to become captain of the team. His first series as captain was against Pakistan, which India won 1–0.

Kumble bowling in a match against South Africa in 2008.

On 17 January 2008, Kumble became the first Indian bowler and third in the world to reach 600 Test wickets. He achieved this against Australia at WACA, Perth. Kumble has taken the most wickets against Australia by an Indian bowler. He is the third bowler after Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne to take 600 Test wickets.

Retirement from International Cricket

Kumble injured his left hand in November 2008. This made him unable to play the final Test against Australia. He had not been taking many wickets before this injury.

Kumble announced his retirement from Test, first-class, and List A cricket on 2 November 2008. This was during the third Test match against Australia in New Delhi. He took Mitchell Johnson's wicket as his last Test wicket. After his retirement, MS Dhoni became the captain of the team.

IPL Career

After retiring, Kumble continued to play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). On 18 April 2009, he took five wickets for only 5 runs against Rajasthan Royals. This helped RCB win by 75 runs. This is still one of the best bowling performances in IPL history.

After Kevin Pietersen left, Kumble became the captain of RCB. On 23 May 2009, RCB beat Chennai Super Kings to reach the final against the Deccan Chargers. RCB lost the final, but Kumble won the Man of the Match award. He is the only player in IPL history to win this award in a final while being on the losing team. Kumble ended the tournament as the most successful spin bowler. He was the second-highest wicket-taker with 21 wickets.

In the 2010 Indian Premier League, Kumble led RCB to the semi-finals. They lost to the Mumbai Indians. Kumble announced his retirement from the IPL on 4 January 2011.

After retiring as a player, RCB made him their chief mentor. He helped them reach the 2011 final. Kumble left RCB in January 2013. He then joined the Mumbai Indians in a similar role. He left Mumbai Indians in November 2015 after they won two titles. From 2020 to 2022, he was the director of operations for the Punjab Kings.

Kumble's Bowling Style

Test career batting performance of Anil Kumble.

Kumble was a right-arm leg spin bowler. He had a unique style, and his flipper delivery was very famous. He started his career as a fast bowler, which helped him bowl faster deliveries. His special bowling style came from playing on matting pitches in Bangalore. These pitches helped his top-spin and over-spin deliveries.

Kumble was one of only a few bowlers to take 5 wickets in a Test innings more than 30 times. He also holds the world record for the most "caught-and-bowled" dismissals in Tests, with 35. He is known for bowling for a very long time without getting tired. He once bowled 72 overs in a Test innings.

He is also remembered for his toughness. In a 2002 Test match against the West Indies, he fractured his jaw. But he bandaged himself, came back to bowl, and took the wicket of Brian Lara.

Kumble focused on accuracy, variations, and bounce rather than spinning the ball a lot. Sambit Bal, an editor at ESPNcricinfo, said that Kumble's variety was subtle. He showed that changes in length and pace could trick batsmen, not just turn and flight.

As a captain and coach, he strongly supported the DRS.

Involvement in Cricket Organizations

Kumble was appointed to the athlete's commission of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). His term started on 1 January 2009.

On 21 November 2010, Kumble was elected President of the Karnataka State Cricket Association. His former teammates Venkatesh Prasad became Vice-President and Javagal Srinath became Secretary.

On 12 October 2012, Kumble was named the new chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee. He was re-appointed for another three years on 2 March 2019.

Coaching Career

On 24 June 2016, Kumble became the head coach of the Indian men's cricket team. His first series as coach was against the West Indies in July, which India won 2–0. India then beat New Zealand 3–0 in a Test series.

India also defeated England 4–0 in a five-Test series. This stretched their winning streak to three Test series victories. They also won a Test series against Bangladesh. India had a 19-match unbeaten record in Tests at home.

During a four-match Test series against Australia in March, India lost the first match. But they made a great comeback, winning two of the last three Tests and drawing one. India won the series 2–1. India also won two ODI series under Kumble. They beat New Zealand 3–2 and England 2–1.

On 20 June 2017, Kumble resigned as head coach. This was due to disagreements with the then captain, Virat Kohli. His time as coach ended after the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy. India lost to Pakistan in the final of that tournament.

In October 2019, he became the head coach and director of cricket operations for Kings XI Punjab. In August 2022, Punjab Kings decided not to renew his contract.

Awards and Honors

• Arjuna award, a sports award from the Government of India, in 1995.
• One of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year, in 1996.
• Among the 16 cricketers considered for the Wisden Indian Cricketer of the 20th Century, in 2002.
• Padma Shri, a civilian award from the Government of India, in 2005.
• A major intersection in M. G. Road, Bengaluru is named after Anil Kumble.
• 'Best breakthrough performance IPL 2009' for his 5/5 against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2009.
• ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, a sports award from the ICC, in 2015.

Amazing Cricket Records

Kumble is the most successful Indian bowler. He is also the fourth-highest wicket-taker of all time in Test cricket. He took 35 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-wicket hauls in Tests. He also took two five-wicket hauls in ODIs.

He holds the record for bowling 40,850 balls in his Test career. This is the highest for an Indian bowler and second-highest overall. He is also one of six bowlers to take 900 or more wickets in their entire career, with 956 wickets.

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