T Natarajan, the left-arm Indian pacer who was part of India’s squad during their historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory in 2020-21 is currently missing from the red-ball format and recently during an interview, he opened up on his absence from the first-class cricket setup for the past four years. Known primarily for his performances in the shortest format of the game, Natarajan has been a key wicket-taker for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, where he claimed 19 wickets in the 2024 season.
In an interview, Natarajan reveals that although he still wants to play in the longest format, workload management has led him to avoid red-ball cricket. He says that it is almost four years that he has played red-ball cricket, it is not that he doesn’t want to play red-ball cricket but he feels that it increases his workload because of which he is avoiding it in the current scenario. He further shared that his knee issues worsen when his workload increases, which has compelled him to step back from first-class cricket.
Despite his current focus on white-ball cricket, Natarajan considers red-ball cricket the superior format and hopes to train and build his body to withstand the physical and mental demands it requires.
Natarajan further says that he loves red-ball cricket more than white ball cricket and he enjoys it whenever he plays. He reveals that he is planning to train for the next two years so that he is able to play red-ball cricket after few years and he is sure that he will return but as of now, he is looking at white-ball cricket.
Natarajan last played for India in an ODI against England in March 2021 and has since been sidelined from international cricket due to his injury concerns. He is determined to overcome these issues and hopes that his performances in the shorter formats will earn him a call-up to the Indian team in the near future.
Watching Natarajan play in test matches will be exciting, what do you say?