Sohail Tanvir

International career

Sohail Tanvir, born on December 12, 1984, is a former Pakistani cricketer. He gained recognition for his unique left-arm bowling style and success in the T20 format. Tanvir was part of the Pakistan team that won the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. His unorthodox bowling action helped him make a name in cricket, especially in shorter formats.

In the Indian Premier League (IPL), Tanvir was the first player to win the 'Purple Cap' in the league’s inaugural season. His best bowling figures of 6 for 14 with Rajasthan Royals stood as a record for over ten years. In the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Tanvir delivered one of the most impressive bowling performances ever, taking 5 wickets for just 3 runs against Barbados in the 2017 edition. He also hit an 18-ball 50 for St Lucia Zouks, including three sixes in a row against Kieron Pollard.

Tanvir's career continued to grow in different T20 leagues around the world. He became known for his economical bowling and impressive strike rate. Even after his international career, he kept playing for teams like Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He played a key role when the team reached the finals in 2020.

In January 2023, Tanvir moved into cricket administration. He joined a selection committee for age-group teams, headed by Kamran Akmal. The committee conducted trials for U-13, U-16, and U-19 regional and district teams, allowing Tanvir to contribute to the growth of young cricket talent in Pakistan.

Sohail Tanvir remains a respected figure in cricket, both for his impressive playing career and his work off the field.

2007

• Test Debut: India vs Pakistan at Delhi, November 22-26. Tanvir played his first Test match and took three wickets, including Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.
• ODI Debut: Pakistan vs South Africa at Lahore, October 18. Tanvir entered One Day Internationals in a match against South Africa.
• T20I Debut: India vs Pakistan at Durban, September 14. He made his T20I debut in the first-ever ICC World Twenty20.
• World Twenty20: Tanvir helped Pakistan win the tournament by taking six wickets in six matches. He also scored his first international runs in the final, hitting a six off his first ball.

2008

• Asia Cup: In June, Pakistan faced Hong Kong in Karachi, where Tanvir scored his first ODI 50, making 59 runs off 55 balls.
• Five-wicket haul: Against Sri Lanka, Tanvir took 5 wickets for 48 runs in 10 overs.

2009

• Tanvir was part of the Pakistan team that won the ICC World Twenty20. He gained attention for his strong performance in T20 formats.

2010

• Injury Break: Tanvir missed several tours due to injuries, including the New Zealand and Australia tours. He also missed the ICC World Twenty20 and Asia Cup.
• Recovery: After a year of recovery, Tanvir was selected for the South Africa Test series in late 2010 but had to rest further.

2011

• World Cup Selection: Despite not playing for over a year, Tanvir was named in Pakistan's 15-man squad for the 2011 ICC World Cup.
• World Cup Return: He returned to the team for the World Cup but only played one match. He scored six runs and took one wicket in the match against New Zealand.

After 2011

• Tanvir faced more challenges with his knee injury. He continued to play in various T20 leagues, including the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the Canadian GT20 tournament.
• Tanvir kept participating in domestic and international T20 competitions, where he remained a valuable all-rounder despite his injury struggles.

Leagues Participation

Sohail Tanvir played in several major T20 leagues worldwide. He joined Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League for the 2008-2009 seasons. In the Bangladesh Premier League, Tanvir was part of teams like Sylhet Royals, Sylhet Super Stars, and Comilla Victorians until 2018-2019. In the Caribbean Premier League, he played for Saint Lucia Kings, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, and Guyana Amazon Warriors from 2014 to 2018. Tanvir also featured in the Pakistan Super League, playing for Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Multan Sultans, and Quetta Gladiators between 2015 and 2021.

Indian Premier League

In 2008, Sohail Tanvir was bought by Rajasthan Royals for $100,000 during the IPL auction. He played a key role in the tournament by taking 22 wickets in 11 matches. Tanvir also helped his team in the final by scoring 21 runs and hitting the winning runs. He won the "Purple Cap" for being the top wicket-taker.

Year	Team	Notes
2008-2009	Rajasthan Royals	Signed for $100,000. Tanvir took 22 wickets in 11 matches and scored 21 runs in the final, hitting the winning runs. Awarded the "Purple Cap" for the most wickets.

Bangladesh Premier League

Sohail Tanvir played in several seasons of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) with different teams. He joined the Sylhet Royals in the 2011/12 season and took 13 wickets while scoring 78 runs. In later seasons, Tanvir played for Sylhet Super Stars, Comilla Victorians, and Sylhet Sixers, showing his skills with both the ball and bat in key matches.

Year	Team	Notes
2011/12	Sylhet Royals	Took 13 wickets and scored 78 runs.
2015/16	Sylhet Super Stars	Scored 17 and 20 runs in two different matches.
2016/17	Comilla Victorians	Took 4/18 (3 overs) against Rajshahi Kings.
2018/19	Sylhet Sixers	Played a key role in a 76-run win against Rajshahi Kings on January 25.

Caribbean Premier League

Sohail Tanvir played for several teams in the Caribbean Premier League. In 2014, he played for Saint Lucia Kings, where he scored 189 runs and took 7 wickets in 9 matches. He was named Player of the Match in a game against Antigua Hawksbills. Tanvir then joined St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in 2015 and 2020. He performed well in 2015, taking 2 wickets for 15 runs in a match against Barbados Tridents. From 2016 to 2018, he played for Guyana Amazon Warriors. In 2018, he helped his team win the tournament with a strong performance.

Year	Team	Notes
2014	Saint Lucia Kings	Scored 189 runs and took 7 wickets in 9 matches. Named Player of the Match against Antigua Hawksbills.
2015/2020	St Kitts & Nevis Patriots	Took 2 wickets for 15 runs in a win over Barbados Tridents in 2015. Played again in 2020.
2016–2018	Guyana Amazon Warriors	Played from 2016 to 2018. Helped his team win the 2018 CPL with a strong batting performance.

Pakistan Super League

Sohail Tanvir played for several teams in the Pakistan Super League during his career. He began with Karachi Kings in the 2015/16 season, where he played in 6 matches. He scored 119 runs and took 2 wickets. In the 2016/17 season, he joined Lahore Qalandars and scored 36 runs in a match against Peshawar Zalmi. In 2021, he helped Multan Sultans win the qualifier against Islamabad United and was named Player of the Match. Tanvir also played for Quetta Gladiators, where he became the leading bowler in 2019, taking 19 wickets. In the 2022 season, he played 19 matches, taking 17 wickets with a best of 4/21.

Year	Team	Notes
2015/16	Karachi Kings	Played 6 matches, scored 119 runs, and took 2 wickets.
2016/17	Lahore Qalandars	Scored 36 runs in a match against Peshawar Zalmi.
2018–2021	Multan Sultans	Named Player of the Match in a qualifier against Islamabad United in June 2021.
2018/19–2021/22	Quetta Gladiators	Took 19 wickets in 2019 PSL and 17 wickets in 2022 PSL, best bowling 4/21.

Domestic career

Sohail Tanvir began his domestic career in December 2008 with the Southern Redbacks in the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash in Australia. In his first match, he played against Western Australia, took 1/15, and helped his team win, though he was caught out on his first ball while batting.

In July 2009, Tanvir signed a contract with Surrey County Cricket Club for £75,000, but the deal was canceled after he was turned away at Heathrow airport due to incorrect visa papers. Later, in June 2013, he joined Hampshire for the remainder of the season and played in all forms of competition. In February 2015, Tanvir joined Somerset for the NatWest T20 Blast.

In domestic competitions, Tanvir took the most wickets in the 2016–17 Regional One Day Cup with 15 wickets. He played for Baluchistan in the 2018 Pakistan Cup and was later named in Punjab's squad for the 2019 edition. In September 2019, he joined Northern's squad for the 2019–20 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He was also the top wicket-taker in the 2019–20 National T20 Cup, claiming 14 wickets in seven matches. Tanvir continued to play for Northern in the 2020–21 Pakistan Cup.

Other Leagues

Sohail Tanvir has played in several global and regional leagues during his career. In June 2018, he was selected to play for Edmonton Royals in the first edition of the Global T20 Canada tournament. Later in the same year, he joined Kabul's squad for the first Afghanistan Premier League. He is currently playing for Chitwan Rhinos in the inaugural Nepal Premier League.

Records and achievements

Sohail Tanvir has achieved notable success in cricket through his remarkable performances in various tournaments. Here are some of his key records and achievements:

• Indian Premier League (IPL): Tanvir set the record for the best bowling figures in the IPL with 6 wickets for 14 runs while playing for Rajasthan Royals. This record has remained unbeaten for over a decade.
• Caribbean Premier League (CPL): In 2017, while playing for Guyana Amazon Warriors, Tanvir took 5 wickets for 3 runs in a match against Barbados Tridents.
• St. Lucia Zooks: Tanvir scored 18 runs from 50 balls for the St. Lucia Zooks at Daren Sammy Stadium in the CPL, including hitting three consecutive sixes against Kieron Pollard.
• Bangladesh Premier League (BPL): Tanvir played for Sylhet Royals in the first edition of the BPL. He scored 13 runs and took 78 wickets in the tournament.
• IPL "Purple Cap": In the first IPL season, Tanvir was the leading wicket-taker with 22 wickets in 11 matches, earning the "Purple Cap" award.
• Regional One Day Cup (2016-2017): Tanvir took 15 wickets in the 2016-2017 Regional One Day Cup, finishing as the top wicket-taker.
• National T20 Cup (2019-2020): Tanvir took 14 wickets in 7 matches, leading the National T20 Cup in 2019-2020.

Personal life

Sohail Tanvir, the Pakistani cricketer, has a life that fans often follow closely. He is known for being down-to-earth, which has helped him gain a loyal fan base. Here are some details about his personal life:

Family

Sohail Tanvir was born to Mohammad Tanvir. His mother's name is not widely known. He has one brother named Amjad Tanvir. Tanvir was first married to Noshien Agda and later married Komal Khan. He has three sons from his second marriage: Muhammad Bin Sohail, Ahmad Sohail, and Mustafa Bin Sohail. From his first wife, he has a daughter named Shah Bano. As of 2023, he lives with his family in Islamabad.

Finance

Tanvir's net worth is around $5.4 million as of 2025.

Cars and House

Sohail lives in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan. His house is simple and not much is known about his car collection, but he prefers to live modestly.

Scandals

In 2011, Tanvir's first wife filed a complaint against him. She claimed he had threatened her and their daughter after she criticized him. She also said Tanvir stopped helping their daughter after marrying for the second time. In 2018, a video surfaced showing Tanvir making an inappropriate gesture to Ben Cutting during a match. Tanvir later said the gesture was not planned and was done in the heat of the moment.

Fans

Sohail Tanvir is well-liked for his humble attitude both on and off the field. His fans appreciate his simple personality. He has 54k followers on Instagram where he shares aspects of his life.