Tanveer Sangha, a talented right-arm leg-spinner and the son of an Indian immigrant, was named in Australia’s playing XI for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Australia’s captain, Steve Smith, won the toss and opted to bat, also announcing that apart from Sangha, Cooper Connolly replaced the injured Matthew Short. India, on the other hand, remained unchanged from their last group match.
Who Is Tanveer Sangha?
Born and raised in Sydney, Tanveer Sangha exhibited exceptional athletic ability from a young age. While his parents initially encouraged him to pursue volleyball, his passion for cricket ultimately shaped his career.
Initially aspiring to be a pace bowler, Sangha realized during his teenage years that he lacked the height and speed necessary for fast bowling. This led him to switch to leg-spin, which he mastered by studying video tutorials on YouTube. His dedication quickly paid off, and by the time he was a teenager, he was already representing Australia at the Under-16 level.
Sangha is only the fourth player of Indian origin to represent Australia in international cricket, joining the ranks of Gurinder Sandhu, Stuart Clark, and Bransby Cooper.
Tanveer Sangha’s Indian Roots
Tanveer’s father, Joga Singh, hails from a village near Jalandhar, Punjab, and works as a taxi driver in Sydney. His mother, Upjeet Kaur, is of Fijian-Indian heritage and works as an accountant. He also has a sister named Simran.
Tanveer Sangha’s Cricket Journey and Achievements
Sangha has already made his mark in international cricket, having played three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and seven Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). The 23-year-old has taken two ODI wickets and 10 T20I wickets so far.
His cricket journey began in 2018 when he represented Australia’s Under-16 team. That same year, he led New South Wales Metro to victory in the U17 National Championships in Queensland as the leading wicket-taker, catching the attention of Cricket Australia. He later represented the Cricket Australia XI in the U19 National Championships in Adelaide, which earned him a spot on Australia’s U19 tour of Sri Lanka in 2019 and the prestigious NSW Cricket Basil Sellers Scholarship.
Sangha’s performances continued to impress, leading to his selection as the Sydney Thunder Development Rookie in the Big Bash League (BBL) in 2018. The following year, he was promoted to the first team.
In 2020, he represented Australia in the U19 World Cup in South Africa, where he excelled with 15 wickets in six matches at an average of just 11.46, including two four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul. At just 18, he was awarded a state contract with New South Wales Cricket.
Rapid Rise to the Top
Sangha made his BBL debut for Sydney Thunder in the 2020-21 season on December 12, picking up two wickets in his first match. He ended the tournament as the third-highest wicket-taker with 21 scalps at an economy rate of 8.04 runs per over.
In 2021, at just 19 years old, Sangha 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 Sheffield Shield and his List A debut in the Marsh One-Day Cup.
In 2023, Sangha made his T20I debut against South Africa at Kingsmead, where he delivered a remarkable performance, taking four wickets for 31 runs—becoming the youngest Australian to achieve this feat in Men’s T20Is.