T Natarajan turned out to be the latest find in the ongoing Australia tour. He was able to leave a mark for himself especially in India’s white-ball squad as he played a crucial role in India’s success in the limited-format series.
He rose to fame because of his brilliant performances in the IPL 2020 playing the Sunrisers Hyderabad and ever since then, there has been no turning back for the cricketer.
In the just-concluded three-match T20I series, T Natarajan picked up crucial wickets and kept the run-flow in check as he emerged out as the lead wicket-taker on the bowling chart. The yorker specialist’s maiden series helped team India seal the T20I series with a 2-1 win.
Later, after the series came to an end, Natarajan opened up about the entire Australian tour that turned out to be remarkable ones for him. He was also asked about why he doesn’t celebrate aggressively. Talking about the same, he said:
“A lot of people have asked me this question. I have been like this since my childhood. I don’t know how to celebrate aggressively, I am not used to it. After I pick up a wicket, I just smile. Nothing more to it,”
He added:
“I am very happy. This is my first trip to Australia. Delighted that I performed well against a good side. I can’t express my feelings in words, I am extremely happy with my performance,”
Natarajan was initially with team Indian squad as a net bowler before he became a first-choice bowler in the national side when the squad was announced. However, after a series of successful events, Natarajan was added to the playing squad and he grabbed the opportunity with both his hands. He said:
“I didn’t expect a lot from this series. I initially came in as a net bowler. After an injury (to Varun Chakravarthy), I got an opportunity and I wanted to utilise it well. I was in good form in the IPL, that came in handy. Also, everyone motivated me very well here. They gave me a lot of support and that gave me the confidence to do well,”
He added:
“I trusted my strengths. I believed I could do well with my cutters and yorkers. I also asked about the nature of the wicket during my discussions with the captain and the wicketkeeper. Accordingly, I adjusted and bowled. I was fully confident about my death bowling with those yorkers and cutters. I just wanted to execute whatever worked for me in the IPL. I was very particular about executing my skills clearly,”
Hardik Pandya Gave His Man Of The Series Trophy to Natarajan and Took A Photo with Him ?
WHAT. A. GESTURE #AUSvIND #Nattu #KingKohli #ViratKohli #T20Is pic.twitter.com/hr7F2Gewil
— Times of Sports (@timesofsports) December 8, 2020
After the T20I series came to an end, Hardik Pandya gave away his Man of the Series award to Natarajan because of his amazing performances in the limited-overs format.