NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings fast bowler Anshul Kamboj became the unlikely star of a social media wave after a security guard who looked uncannily like him started doing the rounds during Vijay’s oath-taking ceremony, where the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was sworn in. Fans were quick to spot the resemblance between Kamboj and the guard positioned near Vijay during the event, and the comparison soon turned into a stream of memes across platforms.
The humour only grew as the posts multiplied. So widespread did the jokes become that even Kamboj found his phone filling up with messages from supporters asking if he had quietly swapped cricket for security work. In response, Kamboj later shared that he had also received the same meme trend on his Instagram, acknowledging that people were asking him what he was doing “there” rather than training or playing.
“Actually, almost everyone has sent me this meme on my Instagram as well,” Kamboj said. “Everyone is just asking me what are you doing there? But actually he’s looking a bit like me, not fully.”
CSK then added another twist to the tale by posting a clip of Kamboj reacting to the viral images, before he eventually had the chance to meet his lookalike in person at the stadium. The entire episode, while clearly playful, also attracted attention from within the CSK dressing room.
Ravichandran Ashwin, too, joined in on the fun with a humorous jab online, suggesting that Kamboj might have missed his cricket responsibilities in favour of security duty. Ashwin’s post made light of the idea, even while referencing the context of a must-win day for CSK.
“Duty always comes first, but on a must-win match day #CSKVLSG, it’s a bit too much,” Ashwin wrote in his tongue-in-cheek comment.
That light-hearted moment has landed during a critical stretch of the IPL season for Chennai. After enduring a difficult start—losing their first three matches in a row—the franchise responded strongly, winning six of their next eight outings to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Chennai’s recent form included a five-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants. With the season moving into its decisive phase, CSK now needs favourable outcomes in their remaining league games. Their schedule includes matches against Lucknow, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Gujarat Titans, and points from those fixtures are expected to play a major role in determining whether they secure a playoff berth.
Meanwhile, fans will be watching both the cricket and the chaos off the field as Kamboj’s viral lookalike episode continues to spread, even while CSK push hard to finish in the top places.
