Mumbai’s off-spin duo Tanush Kotian and Himanshu Singh will conduct a four-day dedicated spin camp at the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru later this month (March 23-26) under the guidance of former India off-spin great Harbhajan Singh.
Recently, former India left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan conducted a similar dedicated five-day camp with young pacers who might be knocking on the door of the Indian team or have already played a few games for them. Apparently, CoE’s director of cricket and great batsman VVS Laxman (also their India teammate) contacted Zaheer and Harbhajan to provide guidance to the bowlers in these camps.
In his India career, Harbhajan Singh took 417 wickets in 103 Tests at 32.46.
“I have always been a fan of Harbhajan Singh. I have followed his bowling for a long time. He took a lot of wickets against an all-time great Australian team. I still remember him dismissing Unmukt Chand with a beautiful delivery against Ricky Ponting in the 2013 IPL Then he made an amazing diving catch at cover and I’m learning from him how to bowl the straight ball and the ‘doosra’ ball as he has mastered the two deliveries,” Kottian said.
Neither Kotian nor Himanshu is part of any IPL 2026 team.
A regular member of the India A team, Kottian earned his first call-up to the Indian national team in December 2024 for the last two Tests during India’s tour of Australia, after spin great Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement but he did not play. The 27-year-old Vikroli resident took 131 wickets in 44 first-class matches at 27.48 and scored 2168 runs at 42.50, including two centuries and 17 half-centuries.
Kotian played an important role in Mumbai’s 42nd Ranji Championship after taking 29 wickets in 10 games at 16.96 and scoring 502 runs at 41.83, including five half-centuries and a century, and was named the ‘Man of the Tournament’ in the 2023-24 edition of the Ranji Trophy. He was the only cricketer to take 25 wickets and score more than 500 runs in that Ranji Trophy.
Himanshu took 42 wickets in 15 first-class matches at 32.78. Goa off-spinner Mohit Redkar will also participate in this camp.
Kotian and Himanshu will report to training camp on March 20. A source following the development revealed that “fitness tests will be conducted in the first few days, after which training camp will begin on March 23.” The four-day training camp will be held from March 23 to 26.