Mumbai all-rounders Tanush Kotian and Tushar Deshpande etched their names in First-Class cricket history by becoming only the second No. 10 and No. 11 pair to score centuries in the same innings during the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Baroda.
Teaming up for the last wicket with Mumbai at 337 for nine overnight, Kotian and Deshpande displayed exceptional determination, batting Baroda out of the game and securing a 36-run first-innings lead. Kotian reached his century first in just 115 balls, with nine fours and three sixes, while Deshpande in 112 deliveries, with eight fours and six maximums, marking their maiden First-Class hundreds.
This remarkable achievement places the Kotian-Deshpande duo in elite company, joining the ranks of Chandu Sarwate and Shute Banerjee, who accomplished a similar feat in a Surrey v Indians match at the Oval in 1946.
Notably, the Kotian-Deshpande partnership is only the third instance of an Indian pair managing a 200-plus stand for the last wicket. Deshpande also etched his name in the record books by becoming the third Indian batter to score a First-Class hundred while batting at number 11, surpassing Banerjee's 121 to register the highest First-Class score by an Indian number 11 batter.
The partnership concluded at an impressive 232, falling just one run short of the Ranji Trophy record set by Chandu Sarwate and Shute Banerjee. While Sarwate and Banerjee hold the overall Indian record with a 249-run stand, the Ranji Trophy record stands with Ajay Sharma and Maninder Singh. The latter pair achieved a 233-run partnership against Bombay in the 1991-92 Ranji semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Mumbai vs Baroda - 2nd Quarter Final
Kotian and Deshpande played big roles in Mumbai scoring a huge total of 569 runs. Now, Baroda has a really tough task ahead of them: they need to try and chase down a massive 606 runs. Thanks to Kotian and Deshpande, Mumbai almost guaranteed themselves a spot in the semifinals since they were already ahead by 36 runs in the first innings. If Mumbai wins, they'll go on to face Tamil Nadu in the semifinals. Tamil Nadu beat Saurashtra to secure their spot.
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