Tanveer Sangha has been included in the One provisional Day International (ODI) squad for Australia’s World Cup and it has understandably caught attention. Despite not playing professional cricket for almost a year, the 21-year-old leg-spinner was selected, even though he had been sidelined due to injury throughout the 2022/23 summer season.
While Mitchell Swepson and Matt Kuhnemann both represented Australia in white-ball cricket last year, Sangha, who has only played in five List A matches, surprisingly moved ahead of them in the rankings.
However, Sangha’s selection wasn’t completely unexpected. He has been on the radar for years, with teammates and opponents speaking highly of him since his debut in 2020. Australian captain Mitchell Marsh shared, “He’s dismissed me a couple of times with that sly little grin, which is always tough to handle. I’ve heard he’s a fast learner and dedicates a lot of time to bowling.”
Sangha’s biggest strength lies in his consistency, making him a dependable choice for attacking in the middle overs of 50-over matches. If he gets the chance to play in South Africa, where Australia’s white-ball teams have just arrived, he will be only the second male cricketer of Indian origin to represent the country, following Gurinder Sandhu.
Tanveer Sangha showcased his potential at the Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2020, ending as Australia’s top wicket-taker with 15 wickets at an average of 11.46, including a five-wicket haul against Nigeria. He made his debut in the Big Bash League for the Sydney Thunder that year and concluded his first season with 21 wickets at 16.66, the highest for any spin bowler in the competition.
In January 2021, right after turning 19, Sangha was chosen for Australia’s T20 tour of New Zealand, and he was also named as a reserve player for the white-ball tours to the West Indies and Bangladesh. However, he remained on the sidelines due to the experience of Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar.
Sangha’s impressive performance continued into the 2021/22 summer, with notable achievements such as taking 3-44 on his Sheffield Shield debut and capturing 4-21 in his first one-day domestic appearance. Speaking about Sangha, Russell said, “I told him after the game, ‘You have a courageous spirit, and I admire spinners who aren’t afraid to bowl to powerful hitters.’ He was bowling close to me and altering his pace, showing a promising future.”
