James Anderson, wo 42 saal ka “budhau” jo Test cricket ka badshah tha, ab T20 Blast mein Lancashire ke liye apna jalwa dikha raha hai! Haan, wahi Anderson jo ek zamane mein red ball se batsmen ko rula deta tha, ab white ball ke saath T20 ke chhote se format mein wapas aaya hai. Sochiye, 11 saal baad T20 khelna, jab duniya ke saare youngsters yorkers aur slower balls ke naye-naye tareeke dikhate hain. Ye toh jaise Sachin Tendulkar ko bol do ki ab wo IPL mein opening kare aur death overs mein bowl bhi kare! Thodi si hasi toh banta hai, kyunki T20 ka ye khel toh speed, dhamaka, aur naye tricks ka hai, aur Anderson? Wo toh classic swing bowling ka ustaad hai. Kya wo is naye zamane ke saath kadam mila payega?
Lekin rukiye, ye mazaak nahi hai. Anderson ne apne pehle hi T20 match mein, jo 1 June 2025 ko Durham ke khilaaf tha, sabko chauka diya. Usne 4 overs mein 3 wickets liye aur sirf 17 runs diye! Ye toh koi naya chhokra nahi, balki ek 42 saal ka player tha, jo 3935 din baad T20 khel raha tha. Usne Durham ke top-order ko dhwasth kiya—Graham Clark, Alex Lees, aur Colin Ackermann ko apne purane wale swing aur control se out kiya. Ye performance dekhkar toh Lancashire ke captain Keaton Jennings bhi dang reh gaye. Jennings ne kaha, “Anderson ne bina T20 khele bhi is format ke saath apne aap ko dhal liya hai.” Waah, kya baat hai.
Ab yahan thodi si tareef banta hai. Anderson ka ye comeback sirf ek player ka wapas aana nahi, balki ek purani kala ka dobara zinda hona hai. T20 mein aajkal bowlers ko variations—slower bouncers, knuckle balls, wide yorkers—sab kuchh chahiye. Lekin Anderson? Wo bas apni wahi purani length aur swing pe bharosa rakhta hai. Aur isne kaam kiya! 3 matches mein usne 7 wickets liye, ek average of 10.14 aur economy rate of 6.45 ke saath. Ye figures toh kisi bhi naye T20 star ke liye sapna hote hain. Anderson ke is performance ne yaad dila diya ki kabhi Anil Kumble ne bhi, 38 saal ki umar mein, 2008 ke IPL mein Royal Challengers Bangalore ke liye shandaar bowling ki thi. Kumble ne apne discipline aur guile se T20 ko apna banaya tha, aur ab Anderson bhi wahi kar raha hai.
Lancashire ke liye ye ek bada moment hai. Ek aisa team jo County Championship mein struggle kar raha tha, ab T20 Blast mein North Group mein top pe chal raha hai, aur Anderson uski wajah se. Yaad hai 2014 ka T20 Blast final? Lancashire usmein Warwickshire se haar gaya tha, aur Anderson ne 4 overs mein 52 runs dekar ek bhi wicket nahi liya tha. Us waqt shayad kisi ne nahi socha tha ki wo 11 saal baad wapas aayega aur apne career-best figures (3/17) dega. Ye toh jaise 2007 T20 World Cup mein Yuvraj Singh ke chhakke wali baat hai—jab koi player apne purane roop mein wapas aata hai, toh duniya dekhne ke liye ruk jati hai.
Aur sirf Anderson hi kyun, dekha jaye toh purane players ka T20 mein wapas aana ek naya trend ban raha hai. Chris Gayle ne 42 saal ki umar mein 2021 IPL mein Punjab Kings ke liye bade-bade shots maare the. Waise hi, Anderson bhi apne tareeke se T20 ke naye zamane mein apni jagah bana raha hai. Lancashire ke fans ke liye toh ye ek sapna hai—ek aisa player jo England ka sabse bada Test bowler hai, ab unke liye T20 mein bhi lad raha hai. Anderson ne ek interview mein kaha, “Mujhe lagta hai mere body mein abhi bhi kuch deliveries bachi hain.” Ye sunke toh dil khush ho jata hai, kyunki jab tak aise players hain, cricket ka maza dugna ho jata hai.
Lekin thodi si chinta bhi toh banta hai. Anderson kitne din aur aisa khel payega? 42 saal ki umar mein T20 ka pressure, wo bhi jab youngsters jaise Jofra Archer ya Rashid Khan jaisi tezi aur tricks ke saath khel rahe hain? Lancashire ke paas bhi ek strong bowling attack hai, toh shayad Anderson ko har match mein mauka na mile. Aur agar wo thak gaya ya chot lag gayi, toh kya hoga? Yaad hai 2019 World Cup mein Dale Steyn jab South Africa ke liye wapas aaya tha, lekin chot ke wajah se jaldi hi bahar ho gaya? Anderson ke saath aisa na ho, bas yahi dua hai. Aur thodi si khundak bhi hai—kyun na is umar mein wo aaram se coaching kare ya commentary box mein baithe? Kyun ye T20 ka jhanjhat?
Fir bhi, Anderson ka ye safar dekhne layak hai. Ek chhoti si team, Lancashire, ek bade se legend ke saath naye sapne dekh rahi hai. Shayad ye T20 Blast ka title na jeete, lekin Anderson ka ye passion aur dedication har cricket fan ke dil ko jeet raha hai. Ab bas umeed hai ki wo is chhote se format mein bhi apna jadoo chalata rahe, aur hum sabko thodi aur khushi de.
