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From almost being a coolie to a million-dollar baby in the IPL, Natarajan's journey as a cricketer is worth the read. Hailing from the town of Salem, the left arm quickie learned his basics of playing tennis ball cricket. Yorkers bowled with the tennis ball changed to cutters with the seasoned ball but the impact remained the same on the batsman.
Touted as India's Mustafizur Rahman, KXIP picked him up 3 crores for IPL 2017 after his sterling performances in the domestic season and in the first season of TNPL as well. He played in 6 games in his debut IPL season and picked up 2 wickets. That was anti-climactic but was a good learning curve for someone so raw.
Natarajan's early promise was spotted by A Jayaprakash, a division cricketer. Natarajan moved to Chennai and the rest as they say is history. Natarajan missed the 2017-18 season of Ranji season owing to an elbow injury but was still picked up during the 2018 IPL auctions by SRH for 40 lakhs. However, he was benched for the entire season with plenty of experienced campaigners competing for the role.
For all the big money being bandied about for international players, the biggest life-changers through the IPL auction usually happen to the uncapped players. There have been quite a few over the years and 2017 is no different. The changes though, in the lives of players, can be of different hues. The potential that such fortune and opportunity provide can be tremendous.
Take the case of T Natarajan, who was sold for Rs 3 Crore to KXIP, this year. Natarajan's claim to fame is the recently concluded Tamil Nadu Premier League. The left-arm pacer, who proved to be extremely effective with his cutters is already being compared to Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh because of the similarities in the style of play.
Natarajan comes from a humble background where such a sum is the stuff of dreams. "If not for cricket, I would have become a coolie," Natarajan tells Cricbuzz soon after the news of his recent riches came to the fore. His father does similar work while his mother sells meat on the street in the evening. Natarajan is the eldest sibling in the family that hails from a village in the interior districts of Tamil Nadu.
"I always loved playing cricket. I loved winning those cups, I loved it," he says. The cups that he refers to are those won playing 'tennis-ball tournaments in his village. It goes without saying that these tournaments had to be played without his parents getting to know. A natural at the game, he was quick right from the start but making a living out of cricket, he admits, was something that he hadn't thought of in his wildest dreams.
However, all of that changed when A Jayaprakash, a cricketer playing in Chennai's fourth division, spotted Natarajan's talent. So convinced was Jayaprakash about Natarjan's abilities that he took him under his wings entirely. "I will take care of him completely, and you don't have to worry about him in any way," said Jayaprakash to Natarajan's parents and brought him to Chennai. Natarajan says he likes nothing better than playing cricket all day. He stays in the guest house of his club and his routine, in his words, is "room, practice, room."
From just bowling quick yorkers with the tennis ball, he soon branched out to cutters using the cricket ball once he started playing in the divisions and eventually Tamil Nadu. The breakthrough season was obviously the TNPL after which he was called for trials by as many as five franchises. It was no surprise then that he was eventually picked up after a lot of interest. "I owe it all to Jayaprakash. He was the only one who showed me away and kept motivating me," says Natarajan with gratitude. "He was the first person I spoke to. I haven't even spoken to my parents yet," he adds. "I'm just happy right now. Very, very happy."
K Gowtham's story is slightly different. Sold for Rs 2 Crore to Mumbai Indians, the off-spinning all-rounder from Karnataka is finally getting his share of the limelight after consistent performances in the domestic circuit. Having made his first-class debut in 2012, Gowtham went through the ups and downs even while playing for Karnataka. The recent season though saw him being picked for India A as well as put him back in the limelight. While the sum that he was bagged for was 20 times his base price, Gowtham remains unfazed about the brouhaha.
"The money part is not the criteria. I just wanted a place to showcase my talent. Money, I'm not too concerned. It is a great opportunity for me to learn a lot of things. Lots of players who I can look up to and learn a lot from," he says.
His selection comes as a reward for his showing in domestic cricket as well as the kind of impression he gave out while going out for trials with Mumbai Indians.
"He's been in the domestic circuit for a long while. He's 27 and he can bat a bit as well lower down the order. We can use him as a pinch hitter as well. More than anything, we were looking for leaders, and he has the personality we were looking for," says team owner Akash Ambani.
Elbow injury rules T
Tamil Nadu pacer T Natarajan will miss the ongoing Ranji Trophy session due to an elbow injury. The left-arm fast bowler Natarajan, who missed the first two matches of the season with a knee injury, has suffered an elbow injury on his bowling hand and is expected to be out of action for at least six weeks.
The 26-year-old Salem cricketer said he is likely to go to Mumbai later this week to seek a specialist's opinion. "It's quite disappointing. I was really looking forward to the season. I had a great run last year and wanted to continue my form. However, the injury has happened. The TNCA has supported me tremendously and I will be undergoing recovery and rehab under the guidance of TNCA physios. I'm likely to go to Mumbai to consult a specialist later this week," Natarajan told TOI on Tuesday (November 7).
A TNCA official said that they want to ensure Natarajan recovers completely and 'not rush' him back to action. "It's important to give him adequate time to recover so that he doesn't break down again. We want to ensure that he comes back strong. It would take a minimum of six weeks for him to get back into top shape again," the official said.
However, Natarajan is hopeful of being fit in time for the limited-overs tournaments. "I have made a few comebacks. I'm mentally strong enough to overcome setbacks. I'm confident of recovering soon and be fit for the 50-overs and T20 competitions," said Natarajan, who claimed 24 wickets in eight matches in the last Ranji season.
Earlier last month, TN bowling coach L Balaji, who has been guiding pacer Aswin Crist on his recovery from a stress fracture, had said pacer Natarajan's injury woes could well be due to the fact that he started playing the longer format a touch late. "Probably, the demand of first-class cricket sometimes gets into you if you had started playing cricket a bit late. It is about getting used to bowling a lot of overs. It might take a little time for his bowling muscles to adapt to the number of balls he bowls in the longer format. The endurance in your bowling muscles needs some time to adapt. Natarajan started first division cricket about four years or so back and so his muscles are still developing," he had said.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu's last two Ranji Trophy matches scheduled to be played at Chepauk - against Madhya Pradesh (November 17) and Baroda (November 25) - could well be shifted out of the city due to persistent rains.
A top TNCA official said that the state association 'has requested the BCCI to shift their matches citing wet weather and 'they hope' that the matches will be moved to Madhya Pradesh and Baroda respectively. "The TNCA on Monday requested the BCCI for a change in venue taking into consideration the rain factor. We expect the matches to be shifted to Madhya Pradesh and Baroda. In fact, the Tripura game which was held here earlier last month was supposed to be our away game. However, the match was played here because of rainy conditions in Tripura," the official told TOI.
T Natarajan to undergo elbow surgery
Natarajan, who grabbed headlines after he was bagged INR 3crore by Kings XI Punjab in the last IPL, said he has been advised an elbow arthroscopy by a specialist in Mumbai.
"After examining reports, I was told that it was not advisable to carry on with the existing condition as the issue is with my bowling hand. Thus, I have been asked to undergo elbow arthroscopic surgery. I will be heading to Mumbai on Thursday and the surgery is on the 24th. The last month or so has been quite tough for me. However, the TNCA has guided and supported me exceptionally through these difficult times," Natarajan told TOI.
A top TNCA official said Natarajan is expected to be out of action for six weeks post-surgery. "It's important to ensure that he recovers well as he is one of our key pacers. After surgery he will begin rehab in Chennai under the supervision of TNCA physios and trainers," said the official.
Natarajan 'an asset' heading into World Cup - Kohli
Indian skipper Virat Kohli has heaped praise on left-arm pacer T Natarajan following the third and final T20I against Australia in Sydney. Natarajan, selected on the national side for the first time, picked up six wickets in the three T20Is at an economy of just under 7 and was instrumental in India clinching the series 2-1. Kohli commended the 29-year-old's work ethic and revealed that he could be a handy asset heading into the T20 World Cup at home next year.
"In the absence of Shami and Bumrah, he's been the guy who has stood up and really delivered under pressure, which is outstanding for the fact that he's playing his first few games at the international level and he looks very composed," Kohli said after India's 12-run loss in the dead rubber. "He's very sure of what he wants to do, he's a very hardworking guy, very humble guy. And you feel happy for guys who are committed and working hard for the team when they get the results and make the team win.
"I wish him all the best and I hope he continues to work hard on his game and keeps getting better. Because a left-arm bowler is always an asset for any team and if he can bowl that well and consistently, I think he'll be a great thing for us heading into the World Cup next year."
On his own performances, Kohli revealed that he was happy with his outing (61-ball 85) on Tuesday (December 8) and is hopeful of carrying forward the momentum into the opening Test. "I think I'm in the right headspace," Kohli said. "It was a bit scratchy in the first ODI, to begin with, but then I addressed a few things and worked on a few aspects of my game that I wanted to purely to get into the best headspace that I possibly can because I've never been a fan of thinking too much technique.
"I think when I get into a good headspace is when I feel like I can play and switch between all formats and adjust according to conditions as well. It's just about continuing to be in that headspace and making sure that I contribute enough towards the team's success and hopefully start off on the right note in the Test series."
Kohli also addressed the confusion surrounding India's attempt at challenging the on-field umpire's call against Matthew Wade during Australia's innings. Even though India used the review within the 15-second time frame, the appeal didn't go through since the replay of the delivery had already been shown on the big screen before Kohli could take the call. "That LBW was a strange one because we were still discussing if the ball went down or what," he recalled. "And within the 15-second time-frame, they showed the replay on the screen. We decided to go for the review.
"I had a chat with Rod that what do we do in this situation and he said nothing can be done because it was a mistake from the TV. But we felt like as management we needed to put the message across that these mistakes cannot be done at the highest level and in a very important game this could be very costly. So it was a little bit of a miss from the TV guys upstairs and I'm sure going forward you don't want to be in a situation where you lose out on a very important moment in the game."
The 32-year-old also brushed aside suggestions of keeping Hardik Pandya in the squad for the Test series. Hardik, who was named player of the series, has not been picked in the Test squad since he is still not fully fit the bowl. Kohli stressed the importance of Hardik's abilities as an allrounder in Tests and is hopeful of having him bowl at full tilt across formats in the future.
"Test cricket is a different challenge altogether," Kohli pointed out. "We need him to bowl, we've spoken to him about it. That's when he becomes the one guy who brings a lot of balance for us if you've seen our cricket overseas as well. In South Africa and England as well, we were able to compete for longer periods in Test matches because he brought a lot of balance in terms of balance.
"He's definitely in that zone where he wants to be stronger and iron out all his niggles. He wants to be available for India in all three disciplines and that's always been his x-factor. In white-ball cricket, the way he's striking the ball, we've found someone who can finish games consistently. He himself wants to get back into the bowling space and then he becomes available as a pure allrounder in Tests which becomes way more important because over five days you need that little bit extra from a guy who can bat and ball. He understands that he'll work really hard to come back the fittest that he's ever been."
On the lessons learned from the white-ball leg of the tour, Kohli expressed satisfaction over the team's never-say-die attitude and mentioned that the team management will back individuals, hoping they thrive in that environment. "One thing I've learned over the last six games is that we're a team that'll show belief and try and finds ways to win the game and not necessarily give up at any stage," Kohli said. "That'll be the hallmark of our team heading into the World Cup next year. The communication between me and the management has been pretty simple. We're going to back individuals throughout and all we expect them is to go out on the field and make sure they're looking for situations and play according to it and keep continuing to commit to the team's goal.
"We've taken the focus away from individual performances and put more focus on partnerships and making sure we bowl well in partnerships, bat well in partnerships, and make an impact. So from a team's point of view, it is a really encouraging sign for us and we have to remember to take it forward to whatever games we play. That is the only way you survive at the international level. Beyond your own performance and thinking too much about technique and these kinds of things, I think that belief and that passion pulls you through more often than being calculative from up here."
Kohli was also pleased having the crowds back in the stadiums in the backdrop of the constantly evolving Covid-19 pandemic. With the entire IPL and most of the bilateral tournaments around the world being played behind closed doors, Kohli noted that it was a welcome change to see the fans boosting the players in difficult situations. "This has been a pleasant change if I have to be honest," he admitted. "You sometimes find yourself in difficult situations and then the energy and the passion of the fans pull you through as well which has been a wonderful addition to this short format series. That's something as cricketers we've always enjoyed experiencing over these years.
"This just gives you an extra added boost and makes you go beyond your limitations so to say. I've certainly experienced that in the last six games that it pushes you beyond your own hesitations and expectations and then you get into that competitive headspace where you're only worried about one thing that is to make the team win and make sure you contribute towards that cause."
THE first ODI wicket and everything that followed was like a dream: Natarajan
T Natarajan has had an incredible past few months. The 29-year-old finally broke into an IPL XI after being on the sidelines for three previous years and made an indelible mark on the tournament as a death bowler. Before he could look back with pride on his performances for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Natarajan found himself in India's white-ball squads for the Australia tour.
And then came the icing on the cake - an opportunity to debut for India in the third ODI on December 2. He admitted it came suddenly and added a lot of pressure, but little did he know when he knocked back Marnus Labuschagne's stumps in the sixth over that this was only the beginning for him.
"I was suddenly given an opportunity - I didn't expect to make my one-day debut there [Canberra]," Natarajan said. "Suddenly they [the management] told me that I would be playing and that was pressure for me. But I wanted to make the best use of this opportunity, so I shifted my focus to that. That [first] wicket and everything that followed seems like a dream to me."
The 29-year-old, who picked 16 wickets in as many games for SRH in IPL 2020, soon made his T20I debut, bringing his death-over prowess to the international level. He finished as the leading wicket-taker with six scalps in the three matches, and was pleasantly surprised - and felt emotional - when his captain Virat Kohli handed the trophy during the team celebration.
"I never expected it," Natarajan said. "I didn't expect Virat Kohli to come over and hand the trophy to me; I was just standing on the side. I teared up. When a legend like Kohli came in and gave the trophy over to me it was a great feeling - I can't describe it."
That surreal feeling didn't end there. Natarajan had to miss the birth of his daughter as he stayed back in Australia as one of the net bowlers for the Test side. But with injuries mounting, he made his Test debut at the series decider in Gabba, which eventually went down as one of the most historic tests win. There too he made an instant impact, picking three wickets in the first innings.
"It was quite difficult [missing the birth of my child], yes," he said. "But, for my wife and my family, me representing the country gave them greater happiness."
When he returned to his hometown Chinnappampatti in Salem, he was greeted with a rousing welcome. He was taken around on a chariot as he greeted the hundreds that thronged the streets to get a glimpse of their new hero and turn his return home into a festival with drum rolls and firecrackers. Expectedly, the soft-spoken fast bowler was floored by the grandeur of it all.
"I never expected to get this kind of reception. I have to thank the people in my village," Natarajan said. "It was an unforgettable experience in my life and I dreamt of making it big, hoping to bring recognition to Salem. It's all god's grace, and I'm so happy right now. There's no limit to it and I just can't describe that feeling. I just feel like being selected for the Australia tour was a gift for me."
After so much time away from his family, Natarajan now has a bit of a break until he resumes his bio-bubble life ahead of the limited-overs series at home against England, starting on March 12
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