Tanush Kotian does not believe he has anything left to prove. Yet, as another Ranji Trophy season beckons, the Mumbai all-rounder knows that the surest way to bring himself back into the national conversation is to keep doing what he has done for years — take wickets, score runs and make himself indispensable to his team.
The 27-year-old’s performances in Mumbai’s triumphant 2023-24 Ranji Trophy campaign earned him the Player of the Tournament award and, subsequently, a maiden India call-up as a replacement for R. In fielding, too, I try to give my 100 per cent. Because i don’t complicate things, “I keep it as simple as possible.
Ashwin during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. “I see how I can win games for my team by performing in every match. Wherever I get the opportunity, whether it is India A or the Duleep Trophy, I can showcase myself and show what talent I have. I just try to tick the boxes. The rest is up to the selectors, and I will wait for that opportunity. When it comes, I will grab that chance. “I have been working with Sunil Joshi sir at the Centre of Excellence and over here also at VPCC (Vasoo Paranjape Cricket Clinic) with Jatin Paranjape sir. The evolution has come through experience and experimentation. “Every year is something special for me. I bring something new and try it directly in games. I feel I am more equipped now. I have four or five years of experience and am capable of doing it directly in a match. Kotian’s value to Mumbai, of course, extends beyond his off-spin. He has regularly contributed with the bat, and his approach is to treat both disciplines as opportunities to change a game rather than separate responsibilities. When I go out to bat, I play my shots. I don’t think about the pressure the team is under. “In bowling, whenever I get the ball, I try to take wickets. If the team needs me to contain runs, I do that job. I try to express myself well. The IPL, meanwhile, remains a potential avenue to showcase his white-ball skills. Kotian has attended trials but has not yet secured a place in the league. He recognises the exposure it offers, though he has not allowed its absence to distract him from red-ball cricket.
“I am performing, but there is no disappointment,” Kotian said on Saturday (October 10, 2026), the eve of Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy opener against Chandigarh. I am working on my skills a little bit, and I think this game will be crucial for me to show my performance and get into the side,” he said. Kotian says he has not changed his action but has tried different grips, becoming more confident about taking his ideas straight into matches. I have evolved a lot,” he said. I try to put pressure on the opponents and score as much as I can,” he said. “If a few chances had been grabbed, I would have seen a five-for too,” he said.
Since then, however, a Test debut has remained elusive. Saransh Jain was preferred as the off-spinner for India’s tour of Sri Lanka earlier this year, leaving Kotian to continue making his case through domestic cricket and India A assignments.