T Natarajan has made a brilliant comeback to the IPL this season after recovering from injuries and covid that cut short his IPL 2021 season last year to just two matches.
He had made his return with the Syed Mushtaq Alit tournament for Tamil Nadu where they won the title, and now has been spot on for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL despite his team struggling for a win.
In the first couple of IPL 2022 matches, T Natarajan returned with figures of 2/43 and 2/26 before recording figures of 2/30 versus Chennai Super Kings. In all three matches, what has been a distinction is that he was bowling pin-point yorkers regularly, no matter the phase of the innings, as he had done in the 2020 season which elevated him to the Indian team for the Australia tour.
Against CSK, the left-arm pacer started off his spell with a searing yorker that went through Gaikwad’s defences, castling the CSK opener. He’d then change his pace and use his variations smartly against Moeen Ali and Rayudu who were looking for some quick runs but were denied.
T Natarajan then dismissed Shivam Dube showing his range – with a bouncer that the left-hander just guided to short third man.
Then came his last over, the 19th of the match, that asserted his return and earned everyone’s praises. For the first four consecutive deliveries of the over, Natarajan bowled yorkers and that batters- Jadeja and Bravo – could manage only 3 runs off it, and even though the fourth ball was a low full toss, Bravo couldn’t hit it as it was dripping onto him.
And while T Natarajan missed his yorker by inches on the last two balls – which Jadeja took for a four and a six – his spell until then confirmed that not only he’s back on the field physically, but he’s back to his best bowling yorkers. That is a great sign for Indian cricket and its fans.
Renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle took to Twitter to laud T Natarajan and also gave him a new nickname ‘Yorker Natarajan’.
“The last over might have been a bit expensive but enough signs that Yorker Natarajan is on his way back,” Harsha Bhogle tweeted.
The last over might have been a bit expensive but enough signs that Yorker Natarajan is on his way back
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 9, 2022
