T Natarajan doubtful for T20I series opener against England
T Natarajan, who has been quite a revelation in the last few months, is doubtful for the five-match T20I series against England. As per reports, the left-arm pacer is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
The report further mentions that the NCA has intimated the Indian team management of T Natarajan's unavailability until March 12, which means the seamer is certain to miss out on at least the first T20I.
T Natarajan was last seen on the cricket field during India's tour of Australia, where he made his debut across all three formats on the same tour. The pacer picked up three wickets in his debut Test and since then, he's been away from the field of play.
T Natarajan's tremendous success story
After a successful IPL 2020 season, T Natarajan was picked as one of the four reserve bowlers for the tour of Australia. In what was a massive turnaround, T Natarajan made his T20I, ODI and Test debut in that very series.
The left-arm series had a massive impact, finishing the T20I series as the highest wicket-taker six wickets in three matches. Moreover, his economy rate of just 6.92 received high praise from fans and pundits alike.
T Natarajan also played an ODI match in that series, in which he finished with figures of 1/70 from his 10 overs, including the prized scalp of Marnus Labuschagne.
While the extent of T Natarajan's injury is unknown, Indian cricket fans will hope to see the pacer return to action real soon. With an IPL season less than a month away and the T20 World Cup later this year, the left-arm seamer's variations could well help India arrest the trophy drought in ICC tournaments.