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

Each season of the Indian Premier League comes with its own rollercoaster ride, with there being some eccentric idiosyncrasies on full display. High-scoring run-fests, low-scoring thrillers, blunders in the field, questionable calls while selecting teams - the IPL has seen it all. 

Match 27 of the ongoing IPL 2024 provided the Rajasthan Royals with their fifth win of their free-flowing campaign up until now, with them regaining first place on the points table. However, their three-wicket win drew all sorts of reactions from viewers, due to an offbeat decision they made during their chance with the bat.

After the withdrawal of Australian leg-spinner, Adam Zampa, citing physical and mental fatigue, RR integrated 25-year-old bowling all-rounder, Tanush Kotian, into their setup. Kotian, who had an impressive title-winning 2024 Ranji Trophy campaign, contributing with bat and ball, got his maiden IPL cap, with Rovman Powell also getting his first game of the season. The surprise changes made by RR were courtesy of Jos Buttler and Ravichandran Ashwin, both missing out on featuring against the Punjab Kings.

After restricting PBKS to a score of 152/7, it was expected by one and all that Yashashvi Jaiswal's opening partner would be skipper Sanju Samson or Dhruv Jurel. However, the entire cricketing fraternity was in for a complete surprise, with Kotian, the bowling all-rounder, being sent out in the middle. Shortly after, he could be seen being pretty solid with the bat, with him however failing to play at even a run-a-ball, eventually getting his furniture disturbed for a 31-ball 24-run knock.

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On digging out some numbers, it was shortly established that his strike rate during his stay at the crease was in fact the third-lowest for RR, for a batter who's faced 30 deliveries or more in a single innings. Striking at 77.41, he was behind Steve Smith, who marked strike rates of 66.66 (22 off 33) and 76.47 (26* off 34) against the Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Chennai Super Kings in 2014 and 2020, respectively.

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Social media users took to X to express their views on the surprising move to promote Kotian up the order, who usually bats at No. 7/8 for his state team, Mumbai.

Below are some of the tweets posted by members of the digital realm on X -