The 2022-23 Indian domestic cricket season is heading toward the business end. Among the many shining stars, this season was Mumbai’s Tanush Kotian who emerged as the crisis man for the domestic giants. It has been a breakthrough season for the all-rounder. He held the team’s batting attack together playing lower down the order and also chipped in with crucial wickets.
Tanush Kotian wasn’t high up the list in the most runs or wickets, but his impact was significant for the team. His brilliance came to the fore for Mumbai on several occasions, including in the all-important game against Maharashtra, where they needed atleast the first-innings lead to qualify for the knockouts.
The 41-time Ranji Trophy champions were in shambles having lost six wickets for 238 runs, trailing by 146 runs. Tanush Kotian, walked out to bat with six stitches to his right hand. He was hit on the plan while attempting a return catch of Kedar Jadhav in the first innings. The all-rounder started aggressively, but settled down quickly, looking more determined. He was battling with pain but took on the onus on himself to take Mumbai past the first-innings lead.
Speaking to Cricfit about his courageous effort, Tanush Kotian said,
“I was not that confident while walking into bat. But once I started timing the ball well, I got the game’s heat. Then, I started enjoying my batting. I had to do it for my team. I had done it before, so I had the confidence of doing it again for my team.”
The all-rounder scored 93 runs, with nine boundaries and a six. However, he was left dejected as he was dismissed by Vicky Otswal, with the first innings score leveled. He went for a paddle sweep, but the ball went fine enough to rattle the stumps. The game eventually ended in a tie on the first innings score, with neither Mumbai nor Maharashtra qualifying for the knockouts.
Sharing what was going on in his mind before the dismissal, Tanush said,
“I wasn’t thinking about the sweep shot. I was thinking about what the bowler will do. According to the field, I thought he would bowl outside off or a wide delivery. So I just shuffled in and wanted to play in the gap. But he bowled on the stumps, so I thought of just paddling the ball, as he had only mid-wicket and mid-on. I had to tap the ball for a single, so I just tapped the ball, but unfortunately, it went so fine, that it hit the stumps.”
“Didn’t sleep for a few nights, but it was a learning for me,” he added.
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Mumbai finished fourth in Elite Group B points table of the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy. They started the season well with thirteen points from two games. Their first loss of the season came in the third game against Saurashtra. Mumbai managed to secure innings win against Assam, but another loss in the season against Delhi shook their campaign. Tanush feels the loss against Delhi cost Mumbai the most. He said,
“Everything went well, but the game against Delhi was crucial, last two games we didn’t get points. Only one point in two games, we lost against Delhi. So that game was very crucial, had we won that game, the table would have been different.”
I play to my strength and back myself: Tanush Kotian
The game against Maharashtra was one of many of Tanush Kotian’s noteworthy performances. He slammed a six in the final over of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final, to win the maiden title for Mumbai. The 24-year-old believes in focusing on his strengths and grabbing the opportunity in crunch situations to make it big.
“I focus on my game, rather than the situation. I play on my strength and back myself to go on. Don’t take much pressure on the situation. Just take a look at how I am connecting the ball, and how I can take the game ahead. I stay in the present and focus on what I can do now. How can I grab this opportunity, and make it big,” said Tanush Kotian.
The Mumbai cricketer finished Ranji Trophy 2022-23 with 303 runs and 20 wickets. He also took seven wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and ten in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
“I was happy with my performance this year. Had planned a lot before this season, ready to do something big. I had planned how many wickets I will take, and will work accordingly. But I got injured in between, didn’t play the Saurashtra game, and also did not bowl in the last game against Maharashtra. Otherwise, the season went well. I was more confident this season. I had individual as well as team plans,” Tanush added.
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