T. Natarajan had another impressive performance in the IPL as he picked 2 wickets and bowled a brilliant spell to help Sunrisers Hyderabad grab a win. In a game that looked to be going in favour of the Rajasthan Royals, T. Natarajan was brought into bowl to the two in-form batsmen Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag.
Both the batters were hitting the ball well and looked like they would win the match for Rajasthan. However, Natarajan showcased his experience and bowled a full-length ball to dismiss Jaiswal in the thirteenth over. He bowled the eighteenth over of the game and he conceded just seven runs there, while also taking the wicket of the dangerous Shimron Hetmeyer. Both these dismissals helped the Sunrisers Hyderabad gain some control in the game.
His 2/35 figures helped the team secure a win by 1 run. Although he was not the bowler in the final over, Natarajan made sure that he did not concede a lot of runs and put pressure on the other bowlers. His over was followed by Pat Cummins, who also conceded just seven runs, which meant that Bhuvanehswar Kumar had 13 runs to defend in the final over. The experienced Indian bowler backed himself and bowled brilliantly to lead his team to a win.
T. Natarajan gives the team a great death-bowling option
The Indian fast bowling department does not look great going into the T-20 World Cup. It consists of Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj. Aside from these names, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube could also be used as options. However, aside from Bumrah, the other bowlers have not been in great form during the current IPL campaign. T. Natarajan on the other hand, has been terrific and is the current Purple Cap holder with 15 wickets in 8 games. Despite his stellar form, he was not given a place in the 15-man squad or the reserve team.
He has been brilliant with the ball for Sunrisers and is making them a tough side to beat. The Tamil Nadu pacer is bowling at an economy rate of 8.97. He has looked great in the middle and death overs, which is what makes him a great choice for the Indian World Cup team.
Arshdeep Singh had a decent T-20 World Cup campaign in 2022, where he picked up 10 wickets. But his current form indicates that the bowler is struggling to bowl economically, conceding 10.02 RPO. Siraj has also leaked plenty of runs and although just one of them could ideally be in the starting 11, India could be in trouble if they take two expensive bowlers to the World Cup.
T. Natarajan last played for India in 2021. He was terrific when he started his career for the country, but injuries affected his place in the team. The 33-year-old is now back and is better than ever with the ball. Although Siraj and Arshdeep have more experience on the international stage, Natarajan’s form certainly should not be ignored as this could prove to be costly for India.
