Meet Tanveer Sangha- The Son Of An Indian Cab Driver Who Has Received A Maiden Call-Up To Australia's T20I Team

Talented young leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha was finally rewarded for his brilliant performances in age-group cricket, U-19 World Cup, and the ongoing Big Bash League as he earned a place in the 18-men Australian squad for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.

Tanveer Sangha is the son of a Punjabi immigrant farmer, whose parents moved from Jalandhar to Sydney in 1997. His father- Joga Singh Sangha- was a farmer in Punjab before he moved to Australia on a student visa. After working on a farm, his father started driving a taxi, which is still his profession. His mother is an accountant.

“I was over the moon when I got the call. It took a while for it to sink in… I did not expect to be selected at such a young age,” Tanveer Sangha told Times of India in an exclusive interview

“Tanveer is a natural sportsperson. He played volleyball, rugby, and kabaddi growing up,” Joga said. “When Tanveer was 10, he showed interest in cricket.” By the time he was 12, I got him to play in local adult cricket teams.” said Tanveer’s father.

Tanveer Sangha was first spotted by the Pakistani-origin Australian leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed during the U-16 series against Pakistan back in 2018.

“This was during the second or third game of the U-16 series against Pakistan. Since that day, he has been my mentor,” Tanveer said.

Tanveer’s bio on the Cricket Australia website states that he started his cricket career as a fast bowler. And, it was only in his early teens that he discovered his leg-spin talent after his father veered him towards the craft.

“He is a very good batsman. He batted five times in the U-19 World Cup and had a strike rate of 85.26. To avoid a shoulder injury, I suggested he take up spin bowling instead of pace bowling,” said Tanveer’s father.

Thanks to his incredible success, Tanveer Sangha was fast-tracked into the Australian U-19 team and he showed his talent to the hilt in last year’s U-19 World Cup where he finished as the leading wicket-taker for his country- 15 wickets in six matches.

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Tanveer has been brilliant in the ongoing season of the Big Bash League where he is currently the third-highest wicket-taker– 21 wickets in 13 games at an average of 16.67.

Should he make his debut for the national team in New Zealand, Tanveer Sangha will become only the second Indian-origin cricketer after Gurinder Sandhu to play for Australia at the International level.

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