As crafty as Shane Warne, as canny as Mushtaq Ahmed, and as accurate as Anil Kumble, Adam Zampa is undoubtedly the best leg-spinner to play for Australia since Warnie. Over the years, the New South Wales-born cemented his place as an instrumental cog in Australia’s bowling line-up in the white-ball formats. 

Zampa was also a vital cog during Australia’s triumphs in the 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2023 World Cup.

The leg-spinner possesses impressive control and variety and has also shown leadership skills as captain of Sutherland in the Sydney Grade competition.

The leg-spin sensation got his first taste of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2016, playing for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant in their debut season, and claimed 6 for 19 versus Sunrisers Hyderabad, which was once the second-best figure in the tournament's history.

Adam Zampa T20I Career

Following Adam Zampa’s impressive performances for South Australia and the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League (BBL), the wily spinner made his way into Australia’s white-ball squads in 2016.

Making his T20I debut on March 4, 2016, against South Africa in Durban, Zampa emerged as Australia’s second leading wicket-taker in the World T20 hosted in India the same year. His 3 for 23 against Bangladesh saw him winning the Man of the Match award, as he joined a very short list of Australian spinners who were bestowed with that honour in the shortest format at that time.

Despite a decent start to the T20I series against Sri Lanka in 2016-17, Zampa was shockingly dropped after taking two wickets in the first match. He described it as a ‘kick in the guts’, stating that his recent T20 form indicated that he was one of the best spin bowlers in the shortest format in the world.

In the 2021 T20 World Cup, Zampa emerged as a linchpin in Australia's bowling attack, finishing as the team's leading wicket-taker and second overall in the tournament with 13 wickets at an average of 12.07 and an economy rate of 5.81. His standout performance came against Bangladesh, where he took 5 for 19, playing a crucial role in Australia's first T20 World Cup triumph.

Later, during the 2024 T20 World Cup, Zampa reached a significant milestone by becoming the first Australian bowler to take 100 wickets in T20Is, achieving this feat against Namibia with a four-wicket haul. 

Adam Zampa ODI Career

Adam Zampa made his ODI debut on 6 February 2016 in the second match of the 2015–16 Chappell–Hadlee Trophy series. In the next few years, the Australian leggie became a regular member in the white-ball formats, being included in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and the Cricket World Cup 2019; however lacked opportunities.

During the tour of Pakistan in 2022, Zampa reached a significant milestone by securing his 100th ODI wicket in the opening match of the series. Later that year, Zampa achieved his maiden ODI five-wicket haul. Later in November 2022, Zampa showcased his bowling prowess, emerging as a pivotal figure in Australia's 3-0 series sweep. Over the three matches, Zampa claimed a total of 11 wickets.

However, in September 2023, on Australia's tour of South Africa, Zampa faced a challenging outing in the fourth ODI at Centurion, conceding 113 runs without taking a wicket. This performance was a rare setback in his otherwise consistent career.

But the canny spinner found his way back in form. He played an instrumental role in Australia's victorious 2023 ODI World Cup campaign in India. He was the tournament's second-highest wicket-taker, claiming 23 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 22.39.

Adam Zampa Test Career

Despite Adam Zampa’s amazing success in the limited-overs format, the spinner, nicknamed Zorba, was unable to break into the Test side of Australia. Nonetheless, he continued playing in the Sheffield Shield and had his first five-wicket haul in a first-class match, when he took career-best figures of 6/62 in the first innings against Queensland before taking another four wickets in the second innings to accomplish his first ten-wicket haul in a first-class match in the 2016-17 season.

Thus, Zampa is yet to make his Test debut for the national team.

Adam Zampa BBL Career

New South Wales-born, Adam Zampa started his BBL career with the Sydney Thunder in the 2012-13 season. Making an immediate impact as a highly-rated young spinner, went on to play for Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades. 

Zampa’s BBL stints have established him as a key leg-spinner known for control, variations (such as the wrong'un), and wicket-taking ability, making him a regular for Australia's white-ball side and a celebrated performer in the domestic league.

Adam Zampa IPL Career

The Aussie leg-spinner, Adam Zampa, made his IPL debut for the Rising Pune Supergiant on May 7, 2016, against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Signed as a replacement for Kane Richardson.

Zampa made an immediate impact, taking a famous 6/19 in his debut season versus SRH. 

Fast forward to 2025, Zampa was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping INR 2.40 crore in the IPL 2025 mega auction. However, after playing just 2 games, Zampa was ruled out of the tournament due to a flare-up of a previous shoulder injury.

(As of February 2025)