‘Swagat nahi karoge?’ – Virender Sehwag praises T Natarajan after the pacer’s grand welcome in India

For the 29-year-old T Natarajan, the last four months have been like a fairytale. From being nowhere near to contention for a spot in the national team, the speedster has taken more than giant strides in his career. In the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), he showed his class while playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, captained by Australian left-hander David Warner.

In the tournament, he bowled mostly at the death and got wickets with his ability to bowl Yorkers. He also garnered praises from Warner for delivering in the crunch moments. Thereafter, he was picked as a ‘net-bowler’ on the tour of Australia after which his fortunes turned around. Varun Chakravarthy, who was a part of the T20I squad, was ruled out and Natarajan got the chance.

T Natarajan shining in Australia

He played the final ODI in Canberra where he picked up two wickets. In the T20Is, he was exceptional as he picked up six wickets at an economy of 6.91. Natarajan was roped into the Test squad after Umesh Yadav was ruled out following the Melbourne Test. Though he didn’t play the Sydney Test, Natarajan got a chance after Jasprit Bumrah missed the fourth Test in Brisbane.

When the pacer walked out at The Gabba, he became the first Indian cricketer to make his debut on the same tour in all three formats. In the fourth Test, Natarajan picked up three crucial wickets. After he returned to his hometown in Salem, he was given a grand welcome.

Former Indian cricketer, Virender Sehwag, was in awe of Natarajan’s performance during the Australia tour. He uploaded a clip where the pacer got the grand welcome.

He captioned the video and wrote, “Swagat nahi karoge? This is India. Here cricket is not just a game. It is so much more. #natarajan getting a grand welcome upon his arrival at his Chinnappampatti village in Salem district. What a story. #cricket #india.”

Here’s the video: –

 

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A post shared by Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag)

In the meantime, Natarajan didn’t find a place in the Indian team for the home series against England, starting February 5 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) already announced the Test squad.