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The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 concluded on November 10 in United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Mumbai Indians (MI) lifting the coveted trophy for the record fifth time. Undoubtedly, it was one of the most competitive and entertaining seasons in the history of the cash-rich league.
Just like previous editions, the thirteenth season also witnessed quite a few youngsters leaving an impact with some top-quality performances. To name a few, the likes of Devdutt Padikkal, Rahul Tewatia, Varun Chakravarthy and T Natarajan were some players who impressed everyone with their high-standard cricket.
Even former India captain Kapil Dev is happy with the way IPL 2020 produced the young talent. Recently, the legendary cricketer named one youngster who was able to grab his attention with a power-packed performance.
Kapil picked Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer, Natarajan, as his ‘Hero of the Tournament’ and lauded Natarajan’s ability to bowl yorkers at consistent basis. The left-armer was truly extraordinary with the ball for SRH, especially in the death overs.
“Natarajan was my hero of the IPL. The young boy was fearless and bowled so many yorkers. The yorker is the best ball, not only today but even in the last 100 years,” said Kapil as quoted by Hindustan Times.
Natarajan gets a maiden call in the national side
Natarajan’s supreme quality of bowling yorkers impressed Indian selectors too as they selected him in India’s T20I squad for the upcoming series against Australia. Though the 29-year-old was first picked as a net bowler but when Chakravarthy got injured, BCCI replaced the Tamil Nadu spinner with Natarajan.
During his stint with SRH for IPL 2020, Natarajan picked up 16 wickets in 16 games. He played a vital role in helping David Warner & Co reach the playoffs.
The left-arm seamer first came in the limelight when he rocked the charts in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) in 2017. After, which he was picked by Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) for Rs 3 crore in the auctions.
However, Natarajan had a below-average outing as he only managed to grab two wickets in 6 games and was released by the franchise. Then, he got another chance this year after being roped in by SRH. Natarajan cashed in his opportunities and earned his maiden national call-up.
