Biography

Born in Shimla, Tanuja Kanwer worked her way up through the domestic circuit, representing Himachal Pradesh in age-group cricket before making a mark in senior women's cricket. A left-arm spinner with the ability to contribute valuable runs lower down the order, she steadily built her reputation as a dependable all-rounder.

Her breakthrough came in the Women’s Senior One Day Trophy and Women's T20 competitions, where she delivered match-winning performances with both bat and ball. Her ability to extract turn and deceive batters made her a key player for Himachal Pradesh, catching the attention of selectors. Her performances in domestic tournaments and the Women’s T20 Challenge helped her earn a place in India A squads, where she continued to impress.

In 2023, Tanuja’s career took a big leap when she was signed by the Gujarat Giants in the inaugural Women's Premier League auction. However, her first season did not go as planned, as Gujarat finished at the bottom of the table. Despite the team’s struggles, she was retained for the 2024 season, where she emerged as one of the few bright spots with her consistent bowling performances, even though the Giants once again failed to make the playoffs.

Her impressive Women's Premier League campaign led to her ODI and T20I debuts later that year. Initially left out of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup squad, she was drafted in as a replacement after an injury to Shreyanka Patil. It was during this tournament in Sri Lanka that she got her first taste of international cricket. It was no surprise that Gujarat opted to retain Kanwer for the 2025 Women's T20 League season, but she could not quite replicate her previous form in a campaign where the franchise made their first playoff appearance.

Later in the year, she earned a spot in the India A squad for the tour of Australia and put in a decent showing. Although she was released ahead of the 2026 WPL auction, the Giants brought her back at the auction, reaffirming their faith in her abilities.