Jason Sangha – from losing state contract to being in contention for spot in Aussie team for The Ashes

With Australia’s top order far from settled ahead of the Ashes later this year, Sangha has a huge couple of months ahead of him with a Test call-up not entirely out of reach. After scoring 704 runs at an average of 78.22 from six matches, which included a century in the Sheffield Shield final, Sangha had a fruitful A series against the Sri Lankans, scoring an unbeaten double century.

An Australia A century for Jason Sangha!

Stream it live: https://t.co/7Wmrmowx2j | #AusAvSLA pic.twitter.com/imWgkwEnOm

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) July 22, 2025

Even if he doesn’t get a chance in the Ashes, what seems certain is Sangha playing a key role in the Australian set-up going forward, with the selectors keen on giving him enough exposure before the next edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy that will be held in India in early 2027.

Sangha is currently at Chennai’s MRF Pace Foundation with Cricket Australia’s Development squad, getting used to sub-continental conditions. It is further proof that Australian selectors see him as a player for the future.

“It’s a really good opportunity to develop my game here. There’s so many things that we’re learning – how to play spin or how to bowl spin to batters – that we can take back to Australia,” Sangha said.

“Of course, the conditions are vastly different In Australia, it’s a very different approach to playing spin. Here, guys play more square of the wicket. They use their sweep shot really well. Whereas in Australia, there’s so much bounce that the sweep shot probably is a bit trickier. I’m learning how some of the batters play spin here and the shots that they play are really good knowledge for me to take back home and work on.”

This is the second wind in his career that Sangha thought would never arrive when NSW dropped him for good. They had good reasons as well, for Sangha had played for too long on promise alone. In 64 innings for the state team, he averaged just 26.63 with three centuries in six seasons.

A second chance

Growing up in Newcastle, two hours north of Sydney, Sangha believed that if not Australia, being part of the NSW set-up and emulating many of his idols would be good enough to leave a lasting legacy. But it was not meant to be for the youngster, who lost track before rediscovering himself in the UK.

200 up for Jason Sangha!

And some real class shown by Sri Lanka A, congratulating him after he reached the double ton.

Watch #AusAvSLA – https://t.co/B4bcd6zaNR pic.twitter.com/TeZShzDgs5

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) July 23, 2025

“It was quite tough. I thought I was going to play a lot of cricket for NSW. It was a bitter pill to swallow. One thing that really helped was that I ended up going to the UK and played some club cricket for St. Lawrence. Playing some cricket, getting away from Australia, going somewhere different, learning to really enjoy the game again and being consistent (was good). I feel like the UK summer put me in really good stead to come back and play in Australia,” he said.

Sangha also found a new environment to grow Down Under when South Australia knocked on his door. He would pack his bags, leave his childhood friends and family and move to Adelaide, where he would come of age.

“When South Australia gave me that second chance, I felt like I had to repay. There are a lot of guys who, when they go off contract, don’t get another opportunity to play for another state. They have to move to play grade cricket and work their way up through the ranks. I was lucky that I’d South Australia to save my career. Just being in new colours, a new city, new environment with some new coaches has given me a new chapter,” the son of parents of Indian descent added.

Jason Sangha has not been afraid to play shots against Sri Lanka A.

Stream the Australia A game here: https://t.co/9M4YyvFHjI pic.twitter.com/IqrQvTRQr3

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) July 4, 2025

The repayment of faith came last Aussie summer when Sangha was mobbed by South Australia fans after he hit the winning runs to bring home the Sheffield Shield title. While he couldn’t quite become a household name in his home state, in Adelaide he is already a fan favourite. Soon after the final, when Sangha visited a local pub he had locals buying him drinks, a luxury former Australia batsman and coach Darren Lehmann enjoyed previously.

“It was awesome. For a state like South Australia, which probably hasn’t had the amount of success that we would have liked for the last 20-odd years, you could just see how much it meant to everyone. There’s so much passion in the people from South Australia. They love their Aussie footy (AFL), but they love the cricket when the cricket season’s on,” he says.