Kamal Ghorui
MUMBAI: In a major blow to Mumbai ahead of their Ranji Trophy group stage clash against Mohammed Siraj’s Hyderabad, key allrounder Tanush Kotian will miss the game due to a hand injury. The match begins on Thursday in Hyderabad.Kotian will be replaced by off-spinner Himanshu Singh, who was included in the 16-man squad for the game but was originally scheduled to join Mumbai’s Under-23 team for their next match.
“Tanush will miss the match due to an injury in his right hand, and he’s returning to Mumbai tomorrow morning. He will be replaced in the XI by (off-spinner) Himanshu Singh. (Pacer) Irfan Umair will replace Himanshu Singh in the Mumbai Under-23 team,” Mumbai chief selector Sanjay Patil told TOI on Tuesday.Mumbai conducted a net session in Hyderabad on Tuesday. With three wins from five matches and no outright defeats, the defending champions are currently topping Group D with 24 points.Kotian struggled in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, taking just two wickets in six matches at 129.00 and scoring 69 runs at 69.00.However, the 27-year-old has been a stalwart in domestic cricket and a regular in India A. In 43 first-class matches, Kotian has claimed 129 wickets at 27.31 and scored 2,120 runs at 42.40, including two centuries and 17 fifties. He was named player of the tournament in Mumbai’s last Ranji Trophy triumph in 2023-24 and was even called to Australia during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, though he didn’t play.
