BCCI Surprises with Tanush Kotian Selection After Ashwin’s Retirement

Ravichandran Ashwin, the legendary off-spinner of Team India, recently shocked the cricketing world with his sudden retirement from international cricket in the middle of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia. Following this unexpected development, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken an unprecedented step by selecting young spin all-rounder Tanush Kotian as his replacement.

Currently representing Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Kotian is in Ahmedabad with his team and is expected to travel to Melbourne on Tuesday. The fourth Test of the ongoing series is set to commence on Thursday. Kotian has reportedly been chosen as a backup for the team’s two frontline spinners, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja.

The 26-year-old Tanush Kotian has showcased impressive performances in domestic cricket. In 33 first-class matches, he has taken 101 wickets at an average of 25.70 and scored 1,525 runs in 47 innings, with an average of 41.21. His batting record includes two centuries and 13 half-centuries. Earlier, Kotian was part of the India-A team that toured Australia before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he played one match, scoring 44 runs and taking a wicket.

Kotian played a crucial role in Mumbai’s triumph in the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season. He scored 502 runs at an average of 41.83 and took 29 wickets at an average of 16.96 during the season. His remarkable all-round performance earned him the Player of the Tournament award. Kotian has also delivered notable performances in List-A and T20 formats, further solidifying his credentials for a national team call-up.

India’s Squad for Remaining Tests Against Australia:

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Jasprit Bumrah (Vice-Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (Wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Devdutt Padikkal, Tanush Kotian.