'I was dumbfounded, what's the logic?' - Robin Uthappa, Zaheer Khan shocked at RR's Tanush Kotian move

Tanush Kotian, known primarily for his prowess as an off-spinner, found himself at the forefront of the batting lineup for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their recent clash against Punjab Kings. Making his IPL debut, Kotian was thrust into the opening position alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal, a move that left many scratching their heads.

Kotian's elevation to the opening slot stemmed from RR's missing players, Jos Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin. With the absence of key players, RR opted to experiment with their lineup and drew skepticism from former India batter Robin Uthappa. 

"They have to a lot of lessons from this game. They do this to themselves every season. They are a solid side. They don't need to do anything silly and they will end up at the top of the table. But somehow, they do something like this every season with just befuddled everyone. I was dumbfounded in the commentary box when I saw Tanush Kotiyan walking out to open the batting. What's the logic? Putting a kid who is playing his first match in the IPL in a situation that he has never been in," Uthappa said on Jio Cinema.

The gamble did not pay off as Kotian struggled to find his rhythm, playing the slowest knock of the season, scoring 24 runs off 31 balls. The pressure mounted on RR as they chased the target set by Punjab Kings.

Former India pacer Zaheer Khan also expressed his concerns about RR's decision and said that Kotian was playing his first game and this poor decision surely could have cost them two points.

Also Read: IPL 2024: Tanush Kotian sets bizarre record for Rajasthan Royals as an opener, stirs social media ablaze

"They showed exactly what not to do in a run chase. They sent a No.10 batter to open the innings. He was playing his first game. this surely could have cost them two points. It was not a chase where a Shimron Hetmyer-like knock was required. It should have been more clinical. But in the end, they got the two points. They are sitting at the top. They are a very good team only decisions like these could cost them games and points. You saw the tension in the dugout. This game should give them a lot of learning," said former India pacer Zaheer Khan.

He came in as an all-rounder and had a fabulous Ranji Trophy season: Sanju Samson

Captain Sanju Samson shed some light on the decision in the post-match presentation, highlighting Kotian's recent performances and the team's desire to explore their options.

"He came in as an all-rounder. Had a fabulous Ranji Trophy season. He has been impressing everyone in the nets. We had a proper settled batting order, so we did not want to unsettle it. Jos is almost ready for the next game and we wanted to try him (Kotian) up the order," said RR captain Sanju Samson in the post-match presentation.

Fortunately for RR, Hetmyer's explosive unbeaten 27 off just 10 balls ensured victory, overshadowing the questionable decision to promote Kotian.