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Ahead of T20 World Cup, T Natarajan is aiming to regain full fitness by IPL
T Natarajan is aiming to regain full fitness by IPL
India fast bowler T. Natarajan has said another good Indian Premier League (IPL) will fetch him a place in India’s T20 World Cup plans.
India fast bowler T. Natarajan has said another good Indian Premier League (IPL) will fetch him a place in India's T20 World Cup plans.
Natarajan, who made his India debut during their 2020-21 tour of Australia, is currently recovering after knee surgery and is undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
In a recent interview with The New Indian Express, the Surisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer has said he is currently focused on fully recovering and while the upcoming T20 World Cup is a far-fetched thought, he does have faith in his ability.
"I am not thinking about the T20 World Cup right now, I'm thinking more about my recovery. If I do well in the IPL, the chance to be selected for the T20 World Cup will come on its own. That is my belief. But for that, my recovery needs to be spot on," T Natarajan said in the New Indian Express interview.
The 30-year-old fast bowler has said that he'll mostly be able to bowl at full throttle in the nets by end of July. After playing two games for SRH in the IPL 2021, Natarajan decided to leave the bio-bubble to get knee surgery.
A sudden surge in COVID-19 cases in India resulted in the suspension of the 14th edition of IPL. The remainder of the tournament has been shifted to the UAE and is set to begin in September. For Natarajan, it was a blessing in disguise.
"I am progressing well after the surgery. I have started training slowly. I will start bowling at full tilt in the nets by the end of this month. My focus right now is on recovering fully and returning by the time the IPL restarts. The fact that the IPL got suspended when it did has turned out to be a good thing in the end. None of it was in my hands of course," added Natarajan.
Natarajan had an excellent run in the IPL 2020, where he picked up 16 wickets for SRH. That helped him receive his maiden India call-up. While he initially travelled as a net bowler with the Indian team, but injuries meant he was added to the team Down Under. He went on to make his debut for India across formats, playing one One-Day International (ODI), three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), and a Test. In fact, with six wickets, he finished as the leading wicket-taker in the three-match T20I series, which India won 2-1.
