Zampa to miss start of Australia India T20s as Sangha drafted

Australia's top T20 legspinner Adam Zampa will miss the start of the five-match Twenty20 International series against India, Cricket Australia said Monday, with 23-year-old Tanveer Sangha drafted into the squad two days before the opening game in Canberra on October 29. Zampa is unavailable for the opening matches as he and his wife Harriet are expecting their second child, the governing body said.

The change affects Australia's spin options for the series, which will be played across five Australian venues through November 8. Sangha has represented Australia in seven T20 internationals, taking 10 wickets, and will join the squad in Canberra. He last played at international level in 2023 and has been a regular in the Big Bash League for Sydney Thunder. Sangha made a notable international debut in 2023 with figures of four for 31 against South Africa and was a leading wicket-taker for Australia A on a recent tour of India.

Zampa's absence removes an experienced specialist from Australia's plans: he is the team's most-capped and most prolific T20 wicket-taker. His withdrawal was described as a short-term, family-related absence rather than a long-term unavailability. Cricket...