Former cricketer VVS Laxman believes that T Natarajan could be India’s standout bowler in T20 World Cup

This might be T Natarajan’s first International tour, but VVS Laxman backs the player to make the difference in the T20 World Cup. Natarajan has been fantastic for SRH this season, picking up 16 wickets in 22 matches. His tremendous display with the ball earned him a maiden-up call for the Indian National Team. Natarajan did not play much in the 2017 season, playing only 6 matches and earning 2 wickets.

In the 2018-19 season, he failed to play a single match with the likes of Siddharth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the squad. 2020 proved to be a turning point in his IPL career. With SRH’s standout bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar injured, Natarajan capitalized upon the opportunity. His bowling performance was pivotal in SRH’s qualification to the playoffs.

At a very young age, Natarajan mastered the ability to bowl a yorker with pinpoint accuracy. This was clearly evident by the fact that he bowled 71 yorkers this season. This was the most number of yorkers given by any bowler this season. He finished with an economy of 8.02 this season. This statistic is commendable because 131 out of the 377 balls he bowled were in the death overs.

Laxman states what sets T Natarajan apart

Laxman mentored T Natarajan throughout the season, teaching him about a batsman’s mindset. He noticed that Natarajan was consistently bowling well in the practice matches. This is why he opted for Natarajan instead of Khaleel Ahmed.

After Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s injury, Natarajan started regularly for SRH. Laxman was really happy with Natarajan’s consistency in delivering accurate yorkers. Yorkers are the toughest of the lot, and this is what sets Natarajan apart. His perseverance finally paid off, with Natarajan dismissing RCB veteran AB De Villiers in a do-or-die situation.

While the yorker is Natarajan’s key weapon, Laxman believes that Natarajan has more in his locker. Even though he restricted his bowling to yorkers only, Natarajan can bowl several other kinds of deliveries. These include a bouncer, an off-cutter, a slow bouncer, and many other variations. His ability to bowl the right kind of delivery to any batsman is truly remarkable.

Laxman has also stated that the bowler is very diligent and hard-working. He is always ready to push his limits and be a better version of himself every day. Consistently performing in all the leagues he’s played, we hope that he delivers the same heroics for India in the international format.

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