Rajasthan Royals name Mumbai's Ranji trophy-winning spinner as Adam Zampa's replacement

Zampa had been on the road for quite some time and cited workload reasons for his exit.

By Chandra Moulee Das Updated: Mar 22, 2024, 15:22 IST

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Inaugural IPL winners Rajasthan Royals faced a major setback just days before the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) with their star Australian spinner Adam Zampa opting out.

Zampa had been on the road for quite some time and cited workload reasons for his exit. He has had a busy recent schedule, playing in the BBL and multiple white-ball series against India, West Indies and New Zealand since the end of last year's ODI World Cup in India.

Despite Zampa's retention for INR 1.5 crore after bagging eight wickets from six matches in the previous season, the Australian leg-spinner wanted out in a bid to remain fresh leading up to the 2024 T20I World Cup in June.

The Royals have now secured a talented spinner, who is heralded for his crisis management skills and recently played a crucial part in Mumbai's record-winning 42nd Ranji Trophy title. He was acquired by the franchise at his base price of INR 20 lakhs.

Rajasthan Royals name Adam Zampa's replacement

Tanush Kotian, a skilled off-spinner and valuable lower-order batter had high hopes of securing an IPL contract in 2023 following his significant contributions to Mumbai's victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, his aspirations were hindered when he was reported for a suspicious bowling action.

However, the 25-year-old remained undeterred and bounced back impressively, finishing as the player of the tournament (502 runs and 29 wickets) in Ranji Trophy this season.

Typically batting at No. 8, Kotian showcased his batting prowess with an exceptional unbeaten knock of 120 runs in the second innings against Baroda in the quarters and continued his sublime form, crafting an unbeaten 89 against Tamil Nadu in the semifinal.

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However, Zampa's exit is not the only blow RR has faced in their bowling department. Just a few days back, they also lost Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna from their bowling ranks after he was ruled due to a quadriceps surgery.

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