Tanush Kotian has been drafted in as a replacement for Ravichandran Ashwin in the Indian team for the remaining two Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This is after Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket following the third Test in Brisbane. Though there were several candidates who were considered for the role, such as Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, the selectors went with Kotian, and his inclusion was justified by India captain Rohit Sharma.

Why Kotian Was Chosen Over Other Players?

With Ashwin pulling out mid-series, India found themselves short of spinners when it came to the crucial games against Australia in Melbourne and Sydney. Kotian, who is currently representing his state in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, was flown in to join the team and is expected to report on Tuesday. Rohit Sharma joked that Kotian was chosen because “Kuldeep didn’t have a visa,” but he had good words for the Mumbai all-rounder for the impressive skills and potential that he brings to the game.

Why Kuldeep and Axar Were Not Picked?

Rohit Sharma elaborated why Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel were not picked as the replacements for Ashwin. The chinaman bowler Kuldeep is recovering from a recent hernia surgery, and Axar Patel was unavailable due to the birth of his baby. This made Kotian the best man for the remaining Tests.

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,” Rohit said.

“Kuldeep is not 100 per cent fit as he went through a hernia surgery. Axar recently had a baby so 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,” he said.

Kotian’s Impressive Domestic Record

Kotian’s has an impressive domestic record, in 33 first-class matches he took 101 wickets with an average of 25.70. Along with his bowling he also impressed everyone with his bat, as he managed to score 1,525 runs in 47 innings with an average of 41.21, along with two centuries and 13 half-centuries. Kotian was also included in India A’s tour to Australia before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, where he scored 44 runs and took a wicket in his only match.