T. Natarajan
Natarajan during the 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Trophy
Personal information
Full name
Thangarasu Natarajan
Born (1991-04-04) 4 April 1991 (age 32)[1]
Salem, Tamil Nadu, India[2]
NicknameNattu[3]
BattingLeft-handed
BowlingLeft-arm medium-fast
RoleBowler
International information
National side
Only Test (cap 300)15 January 2021 v Australia
ODI debut (cap 232)2 December 2020 v Australia
Last ODI28 March 2021 v England
ODI shirt no.4
T20I debut (cap 83)4 December 2020 v Australia
Last T20I20 March 2021 v England
T20I shirt no.4
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2015–presentTamil Nadu
2017Kings XI Punjab
2018–presentSunrisers Hyderabad (squad no. 44)
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I
Matches 1 2 4
Runs scored 1 0 –
Batting average – – –
100s/50s 0/0 0/0 –
Top score 1* 0* –
Balls bowled 230 120 96
Wickets 3 3 7
Bowling average 39.66 47.66 17.42
5 wickets in innings 0 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 0 0
Best bowling 3/78 2/70 3/30
Catches/stumpings 0/– 0/– 0/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 10 January 2023

Thangarasu Natarajan (born 4 April 1991) is an Indian international cricketer. He made his debut for the India cricket team in December 2020.[4] Currently he plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and for Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket. He became the first Indian cricketer to make his international debut across all three formats on the same tour when he was playing in India's 2020–21 tour of Australia.[5]

Early and personal life

Natarajan was born in Chinnappampatti, a village near Salem in Tamil Nadu.[6][7] His father S. Thangarasu, was a weaver working on a powerloom, and his mother runs a fast-food stall. Natarajan is the eldest of five children.[8]

Natarajan married his schoolmate Pavithra in June 2018.[9] In November 2020, his wife gave birth to a baby girl.[10]

Career

Natarajan made his first-class debut for Tamil Nadu in the 2014–15 Ranji Trophy on 5 January 2015.[11] He made his Twenty20 debut for Tamil Nadu in the 2016–17 Inter State Twenty-20 Tournament on 29 January 2017.[12] He made his List A debut for Tamil Nadu in the 2018–19 Vijay Hazare Trophy on 20 September 2018.[13]

In February 2017, Natarajan was bought by the Kings XI Punjab team for the 2017 Indian Premier League for ₹3 crore (equivalent to ₹4.2 crore or US$530,000 in 2023).[14] In January 2018, he was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 IPL auction.[15]

On 26 October 2020, Natarajan was named as one of four additional bowlers to travel with the India cricket team for their tour to Australia.[16] On 9 November 2020, he was added to India's Twenty20 International (T20I) squad, replacing Varun Chakravarthy who was ruled out due to an injury.[17] Ahead of the first One Day International (ODI) match, he was added to India's squad as a cover for Navdeep Saini, who was suffering with a back spasm.[18][19] Natarajan made his ODI debut for India against Australia on 2 December 2020.[20]

Natarajan made his T20I debut for India, in the first T20I against Australia, on 4 December 2020,[21] taking 3/30.[22] In the second T20I, Natarajan picked 2/20 in his 4 overs in a high-scoring match. Natarajan's yorkers, cutters and pace variations in the death overs drew praise.[23] He had figures of 1/33 in the third T20I as India won the series 2–1.[24]

On 30 December 2020, Natarajan was added to India's Test squad ahead of the third match against Australia.[25] He made his Test debut against Australia on 15 January 2021, dismissing Matthew Wade for his first international Test wicket.[26][27]

In March 2021, Natarajan was part of the limited-overs squads of England's tour of India. He made his first appearance in the high-scoring fifth T20I at Ahmedabad, taking 1/39 as India won the match to clinch the series 3–2.[28] Natarajan appeared in another series-decider, the third ODI against England at Pune, where he replaced the spinner Kuldeep Yadav in what was described as a "tactical move" by captain Virat Kohli. With England needing 14 runs off the last over, Natarajan conceded just 6 runs to help India win the series.[29]

Natarajan played two matches at the 2021 Indian Premier League before being ruled out of the first leg of the tournament with a knee injury.[30] He regained fitness ahead of the second leg of the tournament, before being sidelined due to Covid-19 on the day before Sunrisers Hyderabad's first match.[31]

In February 2022, he was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the auction for the 2022 Indian Premier League tournament for four crores.[32] He finished as the second highest wicket-taker for his team with 18 wickets from 11 matches.[33]

References

  1. ^ Sai, R (4 April 2021). "Tamil Nadu bowler is celebrating his 30th birthday". crictracker.com. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  2. ^ "From Salem and TNPL, IPL exploits to India cap - The inspirational journey of T Natarajan". DNA India. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  3. ^ Muthu, Deivarayan (25 March 2022). "The miracle man of Chinnappampatti". The Cricket Monthly. ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  4. ^ "T. Natarajan". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Natarajan becomes first Indian to make international debut in 3 formats on same tour". The Hindu. PTI. 15 January 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 January 2021.((cite news)): CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. ^ Dinakar, S. (2 December 2020). "Natarajan's rise — a triumph of the spirit". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  7. ^ https://www.indiejournal.in/article/the-rise-of-t-natarajan-and-the-forgotten-struggles-of-dalit-cricketers
  8. ^ Kaveri, Megha (5 December 2020). "How T Natarajan overcame poverty and suspect bowling action rise fame". thenewsminute. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  9. ^ "'யார்க்கர் கிங்' நடராஜனுக்கு புது பட்டம் கொடுத்த அவரது மனைவி பவித்ரா…இணையத்தில் வைரல்!". Samayam (in Tamil). The Times of India. 5 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  10. ^ "'Life's most beautiful gift': T Natarajan shares first photo of his daughter and wife". DNA India. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Ranji Trophy, Group A: Bengal v Tamil Nadu at Kolkata, Jan 5-8, 2015". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  12. ^ "Inter State Twenty-20 Tournament, South Zone: Karnataka v Tamil Nadu at Chennai, Jan 29, 2017". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  13. ^ "Elite, Group C, Vijay Hazare Trophy at Chennai, Sep 20 2018". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  14. ^ "List of players sold and unsold at IPL auction 2017". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
  15. ^ "List of sold and unsold players". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  16. ^ "Team India's T20I, ODI and Test squads for Tour of Australia announced". Board of Control for Cricket in India. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  17. ^ Karhadkar, Amol (9 November 2020). "Kohli to go on paternity leave after 1st Australia Test; Rohit included for Tests, Varun Chakravarthy injured". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  18. ^ "AUS vs IND: T Natarajan added to India's squad for Australia ODI series". Sport Star. 26 November 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  19. ^ "T Natarajan added to India ODI squad as cover for Navdeep Saini". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  20. ^ "3rd ODI (D/N), Canberra, Dec 2 2020, India tour of Australia". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  21. ^ "1st T20I (N), Canberra, Dec 4 2020, India tour of Australia". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  22. ^ "T Natarajan shines on T20I debut to hand India victory". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  23. ^ "There's more to T Natarajan than just the yorker". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  24. ^ "Full Scorecard of Australia vs India 3rd T20I 2020/21 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  25. ^ "T Natarajan to make Test debut, KL Rahul to return; India pondering multiple changes in SCG". Times Now. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  26. ^ "Brisbane Test: T Natarajan, Washington Sundar make Test debuts as injury-hit India make 4 changes". India Today. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  27. ^ T Natarajan maiden Test wicket (15 January 2021). "AUS vs IND 4th Test Day 1: T Natarajan removes Matthew Wade for maiden Test wicket | Cricket News – India TV". www.indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  28. ^ "Full Scorecard of India vs England 5th T20I 2020/21 - Score Report | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  29. ^ "Sam Curran falls short as India clinch cliffhanger to seal ODI series". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  30. ^ "Natarajan out of IPL with knee injury". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  31. ^ "SRH's T Natarajan positive for COVID-19, BCCI conducts two tests for confirmation". The Indian Express. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  32. ^ "IPL 2022 auction: The list of sold and unsold players". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
  33. ^ "Indian Premier League, 2022 - Sunrisers Hyderabad Cricket Team Records & Stats | ESPNcricinfo.com". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 25 September 2022.

External links

Sunrisers Hyderabad – current squad
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