Test spin bowler in India sets sights on Test career after scoring fifty with the bat in a lower-tier tournament from the No.7 position.
Tanush Kotian Shines in Duleep Trophy Semi-Final
In an impressive display of all-round cricket, Tanush Kotian, the 26-year-old Mumbai-born all-rounder, played a pivotal role in West Zone's semi-final match of the 2025 Duleep Trophy.
West Zone found themselves in a difficult position early on, with the score at 10-2. However, Kotian, a right-handed batsman and an off-spinner, provided the much-needed stability to the innings. He partnered with Ruturaj Gaikwad, who anchored the West Zone innings with an impressive 184 runs, to form a 148-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
Kotian contributed 64 runs to this partnership, which helped West Zone to a more respectable total. He scored his 17th half-century in first-class cricket on September 5 and ended the day unbeaten on 65 runs.
Kotian has shown strong performances batting lower down the order in domestic tournaments such as the Duleep Trophy and India A matches. In 39 first-class matches, he has scored 1990 runs with a batting average of 44.22. He has also taken 113 wickets with a bowling average of 25.93, boasting three five-wicket hauls in first-class cricket.
The right-arm off-spinner made his IPL debut in 2024 for Rajasthan Royals but played only one match. However, his consistent performances in domestic cricket have not gone unnoticed. He was named the Ranji Trophy Player of the Season in 2023-24 and was also selected for India A's shadow tour of Australia during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Despite being named as a potential successor to Ravichandran Ashwin in India's Test squad, Washington Sundar currently holds that place. However, Kotian's impressive performances continue to keep him in the running for a spot in the national team.
The match in question is the second semi-final of the 2025 Duleep Trophy, where West Zone chose to bat first on day one (September 4). The outcome of the match will be eagerly awaited as both teams strive for a place in the final.
