Who is Tanveer Sangha, the Indian-origin taxi driver's son playing for Australia?

After Rachin Ravindra, there's another Indian-origin cricketer making headlines - Tanveer Sangha, a promising leg-spinner in the Australian cricket team.

Sangha recently gained attention after taking two wickets against India in the opening T20I match at Vishakhapatnam on November 23, 2023.

Let's delve into who he is and his journey in cricket.

Who is Tanveer Sangha?

• Tanveer Sangha rose to prominence due to his impressive domestic cricket performance, particularly emerging as the leading wicket-taker at the 2020 Under-19 World Cup.
• His father, Joga Singh, originally from Rahimpur near Jalandhar, Punjab, India, works as a taxi driver in Sydney, while his mother, Upjeet Kaur, is an accountant in Sydney.
• Sangha's international cricket journey began after his commendable stint with Sydney Thunders at the Big Big League in 2020-21.
• He finished as the third leading wicket-taker in the tournament, claiming 21 wickets. His international call-up came in January 2021 when he was named in Australia’s T20I squad against New Zealand at just 19 years old.
• Although he missed his debut in that series, his breakthrough arrived against South Africa on August 30, 2023, where he impressed with a spell of 4 wickets conceding just 31 runs.
• Sangha seized the opportunity when Australia's leading leg-spinner Adam Zampa fell ill before the match, making a remarkable debut.
• Post-match, Australia’s Mitchell Marsh praised Sangha, saying, “I’m proud of him to come in and have a debut like that. He’s got a great smile, so hopefully we see it for many years to come.”

  

   

Australia’s next big spinner for the T20I WC?

• Australia's lack of quality spinners is well-known, with Adam Zampa often shouldering the spin-bowling duties.

• Sangha's inclusion in the T20I series against India may offer crucial international exposure ahead of the T20I World Cup in six months.

• This move could provide Australia with the option of fielding two leading spinners in the World Cup.

• Although Australia lost the first two matches against India, they have three more matches remaining in the series.