India and Tamil Nadu spinner T Natarajan played a key role in India’s historic win at the Gabba, Brisbane, during India’s tour of Australia in 2020-21. But since then, Natarajan has not played a first-class match.
Considered a bowler of great skill in white-ball cricket, Natarajan was considered an all-format bowler at the time. But unfortunately, injuries have severely affected his cricketing career.
Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has broken his silence on his India and Tamil Nadu teammates and explained why Natarajan is not in any of the Duleep Trophy squads.
Constant injuries have affected Natarajan’s consistency. Not just in red-ball cricket, but he has not been able to stay fit for India’s white-ball teams either. As a result, some of the other talented bowlers have left him behind in the list.
Watch: Ishan Kishan turns on BEAST MODE and hits 2 sixes in 3 balls to win the match for Jharkhand
Ravichandran Ashwin explains what led to T Natarajan’s expulsion from Duleep Trophy 2024
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin spoke about the curious case of T. Natarajan. Ashwin felt that Natarajan had not been able to maintain his fitness when he was selected.
Ashwin further added that Natarajan needs to play red-ball cricket for Tamil Nadu to be selected for the Duleep Trophy.
“I think Natarajan is a fantastic white-ball bowler. He did well in the IPL this year. His last first-class match was Australia vs India in Brisbane on January 15, 2021. He has not played in the last 3 years. He gets picked and not put in the bowling alley. We are backing him a lot,” Ashwin said.
“I like Natarajan a lot. He is a very good lad. But for the sake of it, I won’t say it today. If Natarajan had played red-ball cricket and had come to Tamil Nadu, I would say he should play there,” he added.
T Natarajan’s poor physical record
Natarajan’s poor fitness record does not allow him to handle the workload of red-ball cricket, but he is a regular in Tamil Nadu’s white-ball teams, especially in T20 cricket. His ability to bowl at the last moment stands out and his experience is also valuable.
Since his knee surgery in 2021, Natarajan has not played much red-ball cricket. It is worth noting that he was part of Tamil Nadu’s Ranji Trophy squad last season but did not make it to the playing XI.
T Natarajan IPL 2024 Season
Even in the IPL, Natarajan had a brilliant season this year. On batting-friendly wickets, he proved difficult to score runs easily. In the IPL 2024, he took 19 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 24.47 and an economy rate of 9.06. The left-handed seamer was Sunrisers Hyderabad’s leading wicket-taker of the season.
The 33-year-old will be looking to make an impression in other white-ball tournaments like the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which is scheduled to be held later this year. He has been a regular performer in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL).
