Indian national cricket team captain Rohit Sharma revealed why Tanush Kotian was picked in the squad ahead of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel. He said they want someone to join the team as soon as possible, adding that Kuldeep and Axar are not available.
The Indian National Cricket Team has made a massive addition to the squad ahead of the fourth Test of the series against the Australian National Cricket Team. Mumbai all-rounder Tanush Kotian was included in the squad for the last two games in place of the retired Ravichandran Ashwin.
Tanush Kotian was one of the best spinners in the Indian domestic circuit
Tanush Kotian was one of the best spinners in the Indian domestic circuit. The kind of hard work he has put in and the impact he has had for Mumbai with both bat and ball has paid off as he will join the Indian national cricket team ahead of the fourth Test in Melbourne .
Tanush Kotian has also played in Australia and was part of the India A set-up and played the matches against Australia A. Although it is not confirmed if he will be in the XI, he is a similar replacement for Ravichandran Ashwin who returned home after the third Test after retirement.
Tanush Kotian was the shining light for Mumbai in their title-winning triumph in the last Ranji Trophy. He was awarded the Player of the Tournament for his heroics with 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.
I wanted a backup in case we play two spinners in Sydney or Melbourne – Rohit Sharma on Tanush Kotian
Rohit Sharma while talking about Tanush's selection added that Kuldeep Yadav did not have a visa and they wanted someone to get Down Under quickly. He pointed out that the team needs a backup in case they play two spinners in the last two matches. Addressing reporters, he explained:
“Tanush was here a month ago and Kuldeep does not have a visa. I needed someone to get here as quickly as possible. Tanush was prepared and played well here. But all jokes aside, he's done well in the last couple of years and we wanted some support in case we play two spinners in Sydney or Melbourne.”
He was probably one of the reasons why Mumbai won the Ranji Trophy last season – Rohit Sharma on Tanush Kotian
Rohit Sharma revealed that Kuldeep Yadav was not 100% fit and Axar Patel was unavailable due to the birth of his child and hence Tanush was the best option for them. He praised the all-rounder for his heroics during the last Ranji Trophy. He added:
“Kuldeep is not 100 per cent fit as he underwent a hernia operation. Axar recently had a baby, so she wasn't going to travel. So 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 of his first-class career, Tanush has picked 101 wickets at an average of 25.70 to go with three five-wicket hauls. Not only that, he also amassed 1525 runs in 47 innings at an average of 41.21 with two centuries and 13 fifties.