T. Natarajan

Thangarasu Natarajan is an Indian international cricketer. He made his debut for the India cricket team in December 2020. Currently he plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and for Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket.

He became the first Indian cricketer to make his international debut across all three formats on the same tour when he was playing in India’s 2020 – 21 tour of Australia.

Early life

Natarajan was born in Chinnappampatti, a village near Salem in Tamil Nadu. His father S. Thangarasu, was a weaver working on a powerloom, and his mother runs a fast-food stall. Natarajan is the eldest of five children.

Natarajan married his schoolmate Pavithra in June 2018. In November 2020, his wife gave birth to a baby girl.

Domestic Career:

• First – class debut: for Tamil Nadu in the 2014 – 15 Ranji Trophy on 5 January 2015
• List A debut: for Tamil Nadu in the 2018 – 19 Vijay Hazare Trophy on 20 September 2018

Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 Franchise Career:

• Twenty20 debut: for Tamil Nadu in the 2016 – 17 Inter State Twenty – 20 Tournament on 29 January 2017
• In February 2017, Natarajan was bought by the Kings XI Punjab team for the 2017 Indian Premier League for INR 3 crore (equivalent to US $500,000 in 2023).
• In January 2018, he was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 IPL auction.
• Natarajan played two matches at the 2021 Indian Premier League before being ruled out of the first leg of the tournament with a knee injury. He regained fitness ahead of the second leg of the tournament, before being sidelined due to Covid – 19 on the day before Sunrisers Hyderabad’s first match.
• In February 2022, he was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the auction for the 2022 Indian Premier League tournament for four crores. He finished as the second highest wicket – taker for his team with 18 wickets from 11 matches.

International Career:

• On 26 October 2020, Natarajan was named as one of four additional bowlers to travel with the India cricket team for their tour to Australia.
• On 9 November 2020, he was added to India’s Twenty20 International (T20I) squad, replacing Varun Chakravarthy who was ruled out due to an injury.
• Ahead of the first One Day International (ODI) match, he was added to India’s squad as a cover for Navdeep Saini, who was suffering with a back spasm.
• ODI debut: for India against Australia on 2 December 2020
• T20I debut: for India, in the first T20I against Australia, on 4 December 2020, taking 3/30
• In the second T20I, Natarajan picked 2/20 in his 4 overs in a high – scoring match. Natarajan’s yorkers, cutters and pace variations in the death overs drew praise. He had figures of 1/33 in the third T20I as India won the series 2–1.
• On 30 December 2020, Natarajan was added to India’s Test squad ahead of the third match against Australia.
• Test debut: against Australia on 15 January 2021, dismissing Matthew Wade for his first international Test wicket
• In March 2021, Natarajan was part of the limited – overs squads of England’s tour of India. He made his first appearance in the high – scoring fifth T20I at Ahmedabad, taking 1/39 as India won the match to clinch the series 3–2.
• Natarajan appeared in another series – decider, the third ODI against England at Pune, where he replaced the spinner Kuldeep Yadav in a “tactical move” by captain Virat Kohli. With England needing 14 runs off the last over, Natarajan conceded just 6 runs to help India win the series.

Major Achievements:

• He became the first Indian cricketer to make his international debut across all three formats on the same tour when he was playing in India’s 2020 – 21 tour of Australia.
• In February 2022, he was bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the auction for the 2022 Indian Premier League tournament for four crores. He finished as the second highest wicket – taker for his team with 18 wickets from 11 matches.
• In the second T20I, Natarajan picked 2/20 in his 4 overs in a high – scoring match. Natarajan’s yorkers, cutters and pace variations in the death overs drew praise.
• Natarajan appeared in another series – decider, the third ODI against England at Pune, where he replaced the spinner Kuldeep Yadav in a “tactical move” by captain Virat Kohli. With England needing 14 runs off the last over, Natarajan conceded just 6 runs to help India win the series.