Tanveer Sangha was named in Australia’s playing XI for their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Steve Smith won the toss and chose to bat first. Along with Tanveer Sangha, Cooper Connolly replaced the injured Matthews Short in the squad. India, on the other hand, went into the match unchanged from their previous group-stage game against New Zealand.
Who is Tanveer Sangha?
Tanveer Sangha, born and raised in Sydney, was a naturally gifted athlete in his youth, excelling in several sports. His parents, however, hoped he would pursue a career in volleyball. Tanveer, however, had a passion for cricket and was determined to follow that path. He soon realized that his height and pace were not sufficient to become a top-tier fast bowler. As a result, he shifted his focus to leg-spin during his teenage years. Tanveer honed his skills by watching video tutorials on YouTube, and within a few years, he was representing Australia at the Under-16 level.
Sangha became just the fourth player of Indian origin to be selected for the Australian team. Other players of Indian descent to represent Australia include Gurinder Sandhu, Stuart Clark, and Bransby Cooper.
Is Tanveer Sangha of Indian Origin?
Tanveer’s father, Joga Singh, hails from a village near Jalandhar in Punjab, India, and works as a taxi driver in Sydney. His mother, Upjeet Kaur, is from Fiji and works as an accountant in Sydney. Tanveer also has a sister named Simran.
Tanveer Sangha’s Cricket Career
Tanveer has represented Australia in three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and seven Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), with a record of two wickets in ODIs and ten wickets in T20Is.
His cricket journey began in 2018 when he represented Australia’s Under-16 team. He also led New South Wales Metro to victory in the U17 National Championships in Queensland that year, where he was the team’s leading wicket-taker. His impressive performances caught the attention of Cricket Australia, leading to his selection for the Cricket Australia XI in the U19 National Championships held in Adelaide. His strong showing earned him a spot on the Australian U19 tour to Sri Lanka in 2019, and he was also awarded the NSW Cricket Basil Sellers Scholarship.
In 2018, Tanveer was chosen as a development rookie for the Big Bash League (BBL) team, Sydney Thunder. His performances in the BBL led to a promotion to the senior squad for the 2019 season.
Tanveer’s rise continued when he was selected to represent Australia at the 2020 U19 World Cup in South Africa. There, he impressed with 15 wickets in just six matches, boasting an outstanding average of 11.46. His performance included two 4-wicket hauls and a 5-wicket haul.
At just 18, Tanveer earned a state contract with New South Wales Cricket, a testament to his rapidly growing reputation in the game.
In December 2020, Tanveer made his debut for Sydney Thunder in the BBL during the 2020-2021 season, picking up two wickets. By the end of the competition, he had claimed 21 wickets, making him the third-highest wicket-taker of the season with a solid economy rate of 8.04 runs per over.
In 2021, at the age of 19, Tanveer was named in Australia’s T20I squad for the series against New Zealand. That same year, he made his first-class debut for New South Wales in the 2021-22 Sheffield Shield season and his List A debut for the team in the 2021-22 Marsh One-Day Cup.
Tanveer made his T20I debut for Australia in 2023 against South Africa at Kingsmead, where he marked his arrival by taking four wickets for 31 runs, making him the youngest Australian to achieve such a feat in Men’s T20Is.