India National Cricket Team skipper Rohit Sharma revealed why Tanush Kotian was picked in the team ahead of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel. He said that they wanted someone to join the team as quickly as possible, adding that Kuldeep and Axar were unavailable.
India National Cricket Team made a massive addition to the squad ahead of the fourth Test of the series against the Australia National Cricket Team. Mumbai all-rounder Tanush Kotian was included in the team for the last two games as a replacement for Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired.
Tanush Kotian has been one of the best spinners in the Indian domestic circuit
Tanush Kotian has been one of the best spinners in the Indian domestic circuit. The kind of hard work that he put in and the impact that he has made for Mumbai with both bat and ball has paid off, as he will join the India National Cricket Team ahead of the fourth Test in Melbourne.
Tanush Kotian played in Australia as well and he was part of the India A setup and played the games against Australia A. Although it’s not confirmed if he will be in the XI, he is a like-to-like replacement for Ravichandran Ashwin, who returned home after the third Test following his retirement.
Tanush Kotian was the shining light for Mumbai in their title-winning triumph in the last Ranji Trophy. He was awarded Player of the Tournament for his heroics with the bat and ball as he scored 502 runs at an average of 41.83 and also picked 29 wickets at an average of 16.96.
We wanted a back-up in case we play two spinners in Sydney or Melbourne – Rohit Sharma on Tanush Kotian
Rohit Sharma, while talking about the selection of Tanush, added that Kuldeep Yadav didn’t have a visa, and they wanted someone to reach Down Under quickly. He stressed that the team needed a backup in case they played two spinners in the last two matches. Speaking to reporters, he explained:
“Tanush was here a month back and Kuldeep doesn’t have a visa. We needed someone to get here as quickly as possible. Tanush was ready and played well here. But jokes apart, he has been doing well over the last two years and we wanted a back-up in case we play two spinners in Sydney or Melbourne.”
He was probably one of the reasons why Mumbai went on to win the Ranji Trophy last season – Rohit Sharma on Tanush Kotian
Rohit Sharma revealed that Kuldeep Yadav wasn’t 100% fit and Axar Patel wasn’t available due to the birth of his child and hence Tanush was the best option for them. He lauded the all-rounder for his heroics during the last Ranji Trophy. He added:
“Kuldeep is not 100 per cent fit as he went through a hernia surgery. Axar recently had a baby, so he was not going to travel. Hence, Tanush was the best option for us and he was probably one of the reasons why Mumbai went on to win the Ranji trophy last season.”
In the 33 games in his first-class career, Tanush has picked 101 wickets at an average of 25.70 to go with three five-wicket hauls. Not only this, he also has slammed 1525 runs in 47 innings, at an average of 41.21 with two centuries and 13 fifties.