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 India off-spin great Harbhajan Singh at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru in a specialised four-day camp for spinners, later this month (March 23-26).Recently, former India left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan had undertaken a similar, specialised five-day camp with young pacers who could be knocking on the doors of Team India or have played a few games for them. Both Zaheer and Harbhajan were apparently approached to guide the bowlers at these camps by CoE's Head of Cricket and batting great VVS Laxman, who was also their India teammate.In his India career, Harbhajan Singh took 417 wickets in 103 Tests at 32.46.“I’ve always been a Harbhajan Singh fan. I’ve followed his bowling for a long time. He took plenty of wickets against an all-time great Australian team. I still remember the way he dismissed Unmukt Chand in the 2013 IPL with a well-flighted delivery, with Ricky Ponting taking a stunning, diving catch at covers. I’m looking at learning from him how to bowl the straighter one and the ‘doosra’, as he had mastered both the deliveries,” said Kotian. Both Kotian and Himanshu are not a part of any team in IPL 2026.A regular member of the India A side, Kotian received his maiden India call-up in Dec 2024 for the final two Tests during India’s tour of Australia after off-spin great Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement, but didn’t get to play a game. The 27-year-old Vikhroli resident has taken 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 took 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 the 'Player of the Tournament' in the 2023-24 edition of the Ranji Trophy, thus playing a massive role in Mumbai's 42nd Ranji title. He was the only cricketer to have taken 25 wickets and scored 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 attend the camp.Kotian and Himanshu will be reporting to the camp on March 20. “There will be fitness tests on the first couple of days, after which the camp will start on March 23,” informed a source tracking developments. The four-day camp will run from March 23 to 26.