Tanuja Kanwer

Deceptive through the air and relentlessly accurate off the surface, Tanuja Kanwer represents the finest virtues of slow left-arm orthodox bowling. Born on January 28, 1998, in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, she built her game around subtle variations in pace, flight, and drift, making life uncomfortable for batters regardless of conditions. Beyond her craft with the ball, she is an athletic fielder and a stubborn lower-order batter who takes pride in hanging tough during tight finishes. Her career reflects patience, steady development, and the ability to grab every opportunity that comes her way.

She took her first steps in competitive cricket representing Himachal Pradesh, making her domestic debut in 2013. Over eight seasons with Himachal, she bowled endless overs on diverse wickets, learning to extract purchase even on flat tracks as her steady rise transformed Himachal into a competitive domestic unit. In 2022, seeking new challenges and greater exposure, she made the move to Railways, the powerhouse of Indian domestic women's cricket. That transition sharpened her competitive edge, as she contributed to multiple domestic trophy triumphs alongside seasoned internationals.

When the inaugural Women's Premier League arrived in March 2023, Gujarat Giants signed her, and she immediately wrote her name into the history books. She bowled the opening delivery of the entire competition and claimed its very first wicket by dismissing Mumbai star Hayley Matthews. Across that first season, she bowled the tough overs inside the powerplay and at the death with admirable poise, even as the team struggled to find form. She took her game even higher in 2024, grabbing 10 wickets in eight matches with an exceptional economy rate of 7.13, finishing as the leading wicket-taker for Gujarat Giants.

Her stellar domestic and franchise form opened the doors to the national side. In July 2024, after Shreyanka Patil sustained an injury during the Women's T20 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, Tanuja received an emergency call-up to the Indian squad. She made her T20I debut on July 21, 2024, against the United Arab Emirates, delivering four tight overs and taking a wicket.

Her calm demeanor on debut proved that years of domestic toil had prepared her thoroughly for international cricket. Her progress continued into fifty-over cricket, where she made her ODI debut for India on December 27, 2024, against the West Indies, picking up two wickets for 31 runs. She carried that momentum into January 2025, playing in the home ODI series against Ireland and establishing herself as a reliable spin option for the national selectors.

In the 2025 WPL season, Gujarat Giants retained Kanwer as they made their first-ever playoff appearance. Later that year, she earned a spot in the India A squad for the tour of Australia and put in a strong showing. Ahead of the 2026 WPL mega auction, she was briefly released but returned to Gujarat Giants for INR 45 lakh as the franchise reaffirmed their faith in her all-round utility.

Kanwer continued her stellar representative career into 2026, leading the bowling attack for India A at the ACC Women's Asia Cup Rising Stars in Bangkok during February 2026. In a standout performance against Nepal, she ran through the middle order to finish with sensational figures of 4 for 12, helping India A secure a spot in the knockout stages. Through continuous match-winning spells for Railways, Gujarat Giants, and India A, she remains one of the country's most dependable left-arm spinners.