Who is Team India's latest recruit Tanush Kotian?
26-year-old all-rounder Tanush Kotian has been added to India's Test team. This is his maiden call-up to the squad for the last two matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He will be replacing Ravichandran Ashwin, who announced his retirement from international cricket after the Brisbane Test recently. An off-spin-bowling all-rounder, Kotian has also shown immense batting prowess in recent times.
Kotian's early career and rise through the ranks
Kotian started his cricketing journey in Mumbai, playing age-group cricket before representing India in the Under-19 team in 2017. Although he wasn't picked for the 2018 ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand due to low returns, his performance in India's domestic tournament, Vinoo Mankad Trophy, got him a place in Mumbai's senior team. He made his First-Class debut for Mumbai at just 20 years of age.
Kotian's impressive domestic cricket record
Since his debut, Kotian has taken 101 wickets from 33 First-Class games at an average of 25.70, as per ESPNcricinfo. His tally includes three five-wicket hauls. He also has 1,525 runs with the bat and averages over 41. Kotian has two FC hundreds under his belt besides 13 half-centuries. Moreover, he has been in the form of his life in 2024.
Kotian's impressive performance in Ranji Trophy
Kotian was phenomenal in the 2023/24 Ranji Trophy season, having taken 29 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 16.96. He also scored 502 runs with the bat at 41.83, including five half-centuries and a ton. His incredible performance not only earned him the Player of the Tournament title but also helped Mumbai clinch their 42nd Ranji title.
Kotian's IPL debut and performance in Australia
Kotian was picked by Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2024 as Adam Zampa's replacement. He scored 24 runs in his only apperance. Meanwhile, his century against Rest of India side in the Irani Cup earned him a spot in the India A squad that toured Australia. Although he scored zero runs in the first innings of the second tour game in Melbourne, he made a comeback with 44 runs and one wicket in the second innings.
