T Natarajan has gone strength to strength with each game he plays and his most potent weapon against aggressive batsmen has been yorkers. He burst onto the scenes after a successful stint with the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the last edition of the Indian Premier League. He had troubled greats of the game such as AB de Villiers and MS Dhoni who have been known for their belligerence in the latter half of the innings.
In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Natarajan has recalled the events leading up to and after the wicket ball of MS Dhoni in one of the encounters between the CSK and SRH in the last edition. He said that Dhoni was severe on one delivery that was pitched in his arc, but he bounced back strongly to dismiss him on the next ball.
Natarajan also recalled the conversation he had with the CSK skipper Dhoni after the end of the game and the suggestions he got from him. The left-arm seamer said that Dhoni encouraged him that with the experience he will learn more and more crafts while using cutters and slower variations will bring rewards to him in the shortest format of the game.
“I pitched one in the slot and he hit me for a big six - 102 metres or something. The next ball I got his wicket - I was just thinking about that previous ball. After coming back to the dressing room, though, I was happy. After finishing the match, I also had a chat with him. Speaking to somebody like Dhoni itself is a big thing. He spoke to me about fitness and encouraged me, saying that I will keep getting better with experience. He said, use slow bouncers, cutters, and variations like that. It has been useful for me,” Natarajan told ESPNcricinfo.
Natarajan debuted in the last edition of the IPL for the Sunrisers and was one of the find of the season for the franchise that was missing their very important member in Bhuvneshwar Kumar. His excellent death bowling and control over yorkers fetched him a place in the Indian T20I team, followed by spots in both the ODI and Test team on the tour of Australia.