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Cricket PlayersTanush Kotian looks to repeat his Ranji showing of 2023-24
Kotian is yet to make his Test debut but spent time in the India dressing room after being added to India’s Test squad during the 2024-25 tour of Australia.
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In the last 25 years, India was well served in the off-spin department by two world class bowlers: Harbhajan Singh and, later, R Ashwin.
After Ashwin retired in 2024, the India Test side has been looking for the right off-spinner apart from the injury-prone Washington Sundar. But there is a surprising dearth of talent in this department.
In the last Test series in Sri Lanka, in August, the 33-year-old Saransh Jain was tried without much success. Thus a good Ranji season could help selectors decide on the right player to fill the void.
And that is where the 27-year-old Tanush Kotian comes into the picture. He is yet to make his Test debut but spent time in the India dressing room after being added to India’s Test squad during the 2024-25 tour of Australia.
Kotian grabbed the selectors’ attention during the 2023-24 Ranji season. As Mumbai went on to win the title, he was named player of the tournament for scoring 502 runs at an average of 41.83 and taking 29 wickets at 16.96.
As the premier domestic red-ball competition begins on Sunday, the Mumbai all-rounder is confident of repeating his 2023-24 heroics after a bright start to the season which included an eight-wicket match haul for West Zone in the Duleep Trophy and a good all-round show (seven wickets in two games and innings of 69 and 33) for India A against Australia A.
Speaking to HT after the India A series, when asked about the value of his 2023-24 Ranji performance, Kotian said: “It is a dream that the team wins the Ranji Trophy and you get the best player award. This year also I want to go with the same mindset, lift the Cup and give my best. It was my best performance. It was my first Ranji title.”
The importance of a good domestic season is not lost on the player, he knows if he does well it will get him closer to the dream of playing for India. “The aim is to help win the Ranji Trophy while also getting the man of the series, score around 500 plus runs and take 40 wickets, it will be a dream performance for me.”
Overall, in 47 FC matches, he has 146 wickets at an average of 27.19. As the numbers show – 2292 runs at an average of 40.21 — Kotian is a fine lower-order batter too. Last season he missed a couple of Ranji games due to injury, and played the quarter-final against Karnataka by taping his painful elbow. Having already been part of the India Test squad and regularly playing in India A, and with age on his side compared to Jain, Kotian was expected to get a chance for the Sri Lanka Tests as a like-for-like replacement when Washington was injured. The selectors, however, preferred Jain based on his recent form.
How does he look at the missed opportunity? “Yes I was hopeful (to be selected for Sri Lanka) but it is not in my hands. I only think about how I can perform, I don’t think that much about why I was not picked. They took me in the India A side and I tried to give my 100 per cent which is in my hands. Wherever I am picked, I try to give my best, I play with that in mind.”
Hence, a good start to the current season was important. A start of four wickets in each innings against North Zone in the Duleep Trophy was perfect, followed by decent displays against the strong Australia A side. Kotian says going into the season, he is in the right frame of mind. “My mindset is better, I will look at how I can contribute with both bat and ball.
“The start has been good, the feeling (in bowling) I wanted is happening. The way I want to release the ball, the rhythm, it’s happening like that.”
In bowling, the tall spinner sticks to the advice he got from Harbhajan Singh at the spinners camp at BCCI’s Center of Excellence in Bengaluru: focus on the stock ball and vary the pace. “Harbhajan told me that in red-ball cricket, the stock ball is important, don’t try too much, and in trying to vary too much, don’t harm your stock ball. Nathan Lyon always does that. When faced with a tight situation in the game, back your stock ball and stick to it.”
He is also heeding the tactical tips he got from Ashwin while being part of the Rajasthan Royals. “Ashwin explained how to plan tactically, how the game has changed, how the batters come with an attacking mindset so what we can do on flat wickets.”
“I feel I have started using tactical plans better with the right field placements. How I can analyze (the batter). I am using it and it is giving me some success.”
