Harbhajan to mentor Mumbai spinners at BCCI CoE spin camp

Mumbai’s off-spin duo of Tanush Kotian and Himanshu Singh will train under former Indian off-spin great Harbhajan Singh at the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru in a four-day specialist camp for spinners later this month (March 23-26).

Recently, former Indian left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan had undertaken a similar, specialized five-day camp with young pacers who might be knocking on the doors of the Indian team or have played a few matches for them. Zaheer and Harbhajan were apparently approached to guide the bowlers in these camps by CoE head of cricket and batting great VVS Laxman, who was also their teammate in India.

During 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 has taken a lot of wickets against an all-time great Australian team. I still remember how he dismissed Unmukt Chand in IPL 2013 with a well-fleshed delivery, with Ricky Ponting taking a superb diving catch at the covers. I am looking to learn from him how to bowl straightest and ‘doosra’ it, as he mastered both deliveries,” Kotian said.

Kotian and Himanshu are not part of any IPL 2026 squad.

A regular member of the India A team, Kotian received his first India call-up in December 2024 for the final two Tests during India’s tour of Australia after the great Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement, but was unable to play a match. The 27-year-old Vikhroli 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 has taken 29 wickets in 10 matches at 16.96 and scored 502 runs at 41.83, including five half-centuries and one century, and was named ‘Player of the Tournament’ in the 2023-24 edition of the Ranji Trophy, playing a massive role in Mumbai’s 42nd Ranji title. He was the only cricketer to take 25 wickets and score more than 500 runs in that edition of the Ranji Trophy.

Himanshu has taken 42 wickets in 15 first-class matches at 32.78. Goa off-spinner Mohit Redkar will also participate in the camp.

Kotian and Himanshu will report to the camp on March 20. “There will be fitness tests in the first few days, after which the camp will begin on March 23,” informed a source who is monitoring the situation. The four-day camp will take place from March 23 to 26.