'We Needed Someone': Rohit Sharma Justifies Tanush Kotian's Surprise Selection With Shocking Fitness Update On Kuldeep Yadav

Tanush Kotian has received his maiden call-up for Team India, and the India all-rounder will join the Indian camp in Australia. The retirement of R Ashwin paved the way for the Mumbai off-spinner to get a chance to be a part of the senior men's cricket team. Kotian has been a standout performer for the MCA, and his capacity to deliver in under-pressure situations has earned praise. Kotian's inclusion also sparked intrigue as he was selected over stalwarts Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav for the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy. Rohit Sharma has finally cleared the air and presented clarification on the off-spinning all rounder's selection in Team India.

Rohit Sharma Shares Essential Reason For Preferring Tanush Kotian Over Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav

At the pre-match press conference, Rohit Sharma offered a justification for Tanush Kotian's inclusion after R Ashwin announced his retirement in the middle of the ongoing BGT Test Series. Initially, he joked that Kuldeep Yadav did not have a visa, but he also praised Kotian for his efforts and skills. The Indian skipper also presented a fitness update on Kuldeep, revealing that he is not fully fit after undergoing hernia surgery. Additionally, Rohit said that Axar Patel was not going to travel since he recently had a baby.

“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.

“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,” Rohit Sharma said.

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When Will Tanush Kotian Join The India Camp In Australia? 

Tanush Kotian was recently in action at the Vijay Hazare Trophy for MCA, where he scalped two wickets and scored 39 runs against Hyderabad on Monday. As per reports, the off-spinning all-rounder will depart from Mumbai on December 24 and join the Indian camp before the Boxing Day Test match at the MCG.

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