India’s fast bowler T Natarajan believes if he does well in the second leg of Indian Premier League, he will get a chance to play in the T20 World Cup.
Natarajan had suffered a knee injury while playing in the first phase of IPL and he is currently recuperating after undergoing knee surgery.
Natarajan is going through his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. The left-arm pacer had impressed in IPL 2020 while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad as he had scalped 16 wickets. Consequently, he made an impressive debut on the tour of Australia in all the three formats of the game.
Natarajan had finished as the leading wicket-taker in the T20I series against Australia as he had scalped six wickets in three matches. Moreover, he went on to make a decent start to his ODI and Test career.
Natarajan didn’t play the series against England and then unfortunately got injured while playing for the Orange Army in the IPL.
Natarajan said while talking to New Indian Express, “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”.
The left-arm pacer added that IPL suspension turned out good for him as he will now have a chance to perform in the lucrative tournament to get a place in the T20 World Cup squad.
“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.”
Natarajan has impressed with his ability to hit the blockhole consistently and he can be used in the death overs. The left-arm fast bowler from Salem also has a good slower ball under his arsenal.
