I Didn't Have Any Disappointments: T Natarajan On Missing Out On India's T20 World Cup Squad

Star Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) left-arm pacer T Natarajan has revealed that he is not disappointed after missing out on India’s T20 World Cup 2021 squad.

India’s emerging seamer T Natarajan won’t be seen in action in the T20 World Cup 2021 which is scheduled to begin in the UAE and Oman. At a point in time, he was expected to be one of the main pacers of India in the shorter format. However, injury ruined everything for him.

After India’s T20 World Cup 2021 squad was announced India’s chief selector Chetan Sharma told that although Natarajan’s name came up for the discussion during the meeting, due to his injury he was not picked.

I knew it was hard to reach there in a short period of time: T Natarajan

In a chat with ESPNcricinfo T Natarajan said that he is not disappointed after not getting selected in the world cup team and he expected that he won’t be picked in the 15-member squad because he was away from cricket for a healthy amount of time.

“I didn’t have any disappointments [at not being selected for the T20 World Cup],” Natarajan said. “I knew it was hard to reach there in a short period of time. A lot of people have told me that I would make the squad, but I didn’t expect to be picked in the 15-man squad. I knew I was coming back from injury; I hadn’t played competitive cricket for five or five-and-a-half months.

Further talking about the World Cup Natarajan said that if the squad was picked after the second phase of Indian Premier League 2021 he would have had a chance to get picked. Left-arm pacer elaborated:

“If maybe the [World Cup] selection was after the IPL, I would have had a chance to make the squad. You can’t expect to be picked in the squad without match practice.

“I thought of at least going [to the World Cup] as a net bowler. I had ambitions of being a net bowler, but I didn’t expect to be in the 15 at all. My mindset was just to recover from the leg injury, play the IPL, and the rest will happen automatically.”

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T Natarajan will soon be in action when SRH goes head to head with Delhi Capitals in Dubai on September 22. He expressed his excitement on reuniting with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and told Bhuvi has encouraged him a lot in his career.

“I’ve been with the SRH team for three-fours years. We’ve shared a lot of things with each other,” Natarajan said of his relationship with Bhuvneshwar. “When I didn’t get a chance to play for two years, he encouraged me that my chance will come, but advised me to keep working on my bowling without any expectations. He said he has also been on the bench, so asked me not to get disheartened.

“Often at the nets, I ask him about the field setting and match-related inputs, he always tells me to go with what I’m confident about and not to worry even if that goes for runs. When I’m confused, I ask him for inputs and he has shared his experience. So, he has asked me to call him anytime. So, this journey with him I’m so happy.”

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