Tanush Kotyan scored four fifties and one century in this Ranji season. All of them bat at No.8 or below. His top two scores came when he batted at No.10 – 120* and 89*. Kotyan is his biggest promise with the bat. His first-class average of 42 is a big proof. But he is an off-spinner first. Mumbai consider him a bowling all-rounder. However, their IPL franchise, Rajasthan Royals, thought otherwise.
Kotyan Couldn't bowl a single over in his IPL debut against Punjab Kings at Mullanpur but was sent in to open the batting with Yassavi Jaiswal. RR lost the services of Jos Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin, so they brought Kotyan and Rovman Powell into the XI. But no one knew that Kotyan would replace Butler at the top of the order.
The move left former India batsman Robin Uthappa speechless. “He has a lot of lessons to learn from this game. He does this every season. He is a solid side. He doesn't have to do anything silly and he ends up at the top of the table. But anyway, he does this every season, shocking everyone. I was speechless in the commentary box when I saw Tanush Kotyan walk out to open the batting. .What's the logic?Uttappa has never entered a situation where he is playing his first match in the IPL.
The move did not go according to plan for RR. Kotyan played the slowest knock by a batter who batted more than 25 balls this season. The right-hander scored 24 runs off 31 balls with just three boundaries at a strike rate of 77. That did not allow RR to get off to a good start and the pressure began to mount.
“He showed exactly what not to do in a run chase. He sent in a No.10 batsman to open the innings. He was playing his first game. It could have definitely given him two points. It wasn't Shimron Hetmyer's chase. -Such a knock is needed, it needs to be more clinical, But in the end, they got two points, they are a very good team, you can see the tension in the dugout. This game should give them a lot of learning,” said former India pacer Zaheer Khan.
Samson explains why Tanush Kotyan started batting
So why did RR send Kotyan as an opener? “He came in as an all-rounder. Had a phenomenal Ranji Trophy season. He is impressing everyone in the nets. We had the right batting order, so we didn't want to upset that. Jose is almost ready for the next game and we wanted to try him (Kotian) down the order,” the RR skipper said. Sanju Samson In the post-match presentation.
Thanks to Shimron Hetmeyer, the disastrous move did not cost RR the game. The left-hander scored an unbeaten 27 off just 10 balls to ensure a three-wicket win for RR.
