5 prominent Indian batters with fewer first-class runs than batting coach Sitanshu Kotak ft. MS Dhoni

Sitanshu Kotak, a former first-class cricketer, was appointed batting coach of the senior Indian men's team in January 2025. His appointment came just ahead of the limited-overs home series against England.

He is a former left-handed batter who played domestic cricket for Saurashtra. Kotak came in with the experience of having worked with several Indian players at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) previously. He has also coached the India A team and the senior team during their Ireland tour in 2023.

The left-hander made his first-class debut in 1992. He played 130 matches and scored 8061 runs from 211 innings at an average of 41.76 with 15 hundreds and 55 half-centuries. Interestingly, there are a few prominent Indian batters who finished with fewer first-class runs than Sitanshu Kotak.

Let us take a look at five such prominent Indian batters who make this list.

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#5 Deep Dasgupta

Former Indian cricketer Deep Dasgupta is now well-known in the broadcasting space. He works as a Hindi and English cricket commentator. During his playing days, he was a right-handed wicketkeeper. He played eight Tests and five ODIs in a short international career.

Deep Dasgupta made his first-class debut in 1998. He played 83 matches and scored 3806 runs at an average of 30.20. The right-hander made six hundreds and 21 half-centuries. He last played a first-class game in 2009.

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#4 Kris Srikkanth

Former Indian opener Kris Srikkanth was an entertaining and attacking batter in his time. Srikkanth was a part of Kapil Dev's team that won the 1983 World Cup as well. He played 43 Tests and 146 ODIs, having made his international debut in 1981.

The right-hander made his first-class debut three years earlier in 1978. Despite being a well-known figure in the country's cricket fraternity, Srikkanth also ended with fewer first-class runs than Kotak. He made 7349 runs from 134 games at an average of 34.99 with 12 centuries and 45 fifties.

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#3 Wriddhiman Saha

Wriddhiman Saha recently retired from all forms of cricket in 2025, last playing in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy for Bengal. He retired from international cricket in 2024. Saha featured in 40 Tests and nine ODIs for India in his career.

The former wicketkeeper made his first-class debut in 2007. He played 142 matches and notched up 7169 runs at an average of 41.43 with 14 hundreds and 44 fifties. Notably, he was dismissed for a duck in his final first-class innings against Punjab at his home ground, the iconic Eden Gardens.

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#2 Suresh Raina

Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina also features on this list. Raina retired from international cricket in 2020. He won the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy during his career. Raina played 18 Tests, 226 ODIs, and 78 T20Is.

The left-hander's maiden first-class appearance came in the 2002-03 season. Representing Uttar Pradesh, he played 109 first-class matches. Raina mustered only 6871 runs at an average of 42.15 with 14 tons and 45 fifties. He last played a first-class match in 2018.

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#1 MS Dhoni

Probably the biggest name on this list is that of former captain MS Dhoni. Dhoni, who led the nation to multiple ICC titles, retired from international cricket in 2020. He played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs, and 98 T20Is.

Dhoni came a long way, rising from Jharkhand, going on to successfully lead the nation for several years. His first-class debut came in 1999. The 44-year-old played 131 first-class games. He piled on 7038 runs at an average of 36.84 with nine hundreds and 47 fifties.