Udupi teen Tanush Kotian makes it to India Under-19 cricket team

coastaldigest.com news network

October 18, 2017

Udupi, Oct 18: All-rounder Tanush Kotian got the most memorable birthday gift on Mondaywhen the national junior selection headed by Venkatesh Prasad granted him a place in the India U-19 team for the Asia Cup to be held in Malaysia next month.

Tanush was born and brought up in Mumbai. However, his roots are in coastal Karnataka. His father Karunakar and mother Mallika Kotian hail from Pangala in Udupi district.

Off-spinning all-rounder Tanush was training at the MCA-BKC indoor academy with his West Zone teammates for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy one-day tournament starting October 24 in Akota, when he got the news of his selection.

"Though I performed well for Mumbai in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, I was not expecting to be selected. It was a surprise for me; it's a nice birthday gift," said Tanush, who claimed nine wickets and scored 120 runs in four Vinoo Mankad Trophy matches.

Tanush was grateful to his coaches — VN Sule Guruji Vidyamandir mentor Gopal Koli as well as former India offie Ramesh Powar, but he didn't forget to mention his first coach — his father Karunakar, who played 'A' Division cricket for Shantibhai Seth Memorial CC. Karunakar is now an umpire.

"I used to watch my dad bowling, particularly in tennis ball cricket. He inspired me to play and enjoy this game. He encouraged me to bowl off-spin and concentrate on batting as well. Later on, Koli sir and Powar sir taught me to earn my wickets with different variations," said Tanush, who plays for Dadar Union SC on the Mumbai club circuit.

Karunakar was surprised too. "Looking at his performance, I was sure about his selection in the zonal team, but not the national side. His all-round skills and consistency paid off. The Asia Cup will be a big opportunity for him," he said.

The India U-19 squad members for fourth edition of the Asia Cup cricket to be played in Malaysia from November 9-20 are: Himanshu Rana (Captain), Abhishek Sharma (vice-captain), Atharva Taide, Manjot Kalra, Salman Khan, Anuj Rawat, Harvik Desai, Riyan Parag, Anukul Roy, Shiva Singh, Tanush Kotian, Darshan Nalkande, Vivekanand Tiwary, Aditya Thakare, Mandeep Singh.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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