Cricket has turned T. Natarajan's life around: Ravi Ashwin

Published - 20 Feb 2017, 18:20 IST | Updated - 20 Feb 2017, 18:20 IST

2 Min Read

Thangarasu Natarajan. Remember the name, he might be one of those people who has the story of an underdog which we all love. Coming from a background which is so humble that his mother runs a streetside stall while his father works in a saree manufacturing unit. One of the five children at home Thangarasu has often faced the hardships. But this game of cricket and today’s auction has turned his life completely. From playing tennis ball cricket in Salem to playing with the stars.

Natarajan played for the famous club Jolly Rovers before shining for Dindigul Dragons in the Tamil Nadu premier league. Ravi Ashwin came out with a tweet that taunted the selectors while told the story of this young lad. He tweeted “Cricket has turned the life of T.Natarajan from the interiors of TN.If only more sectors in our country could do that, we would have grown.”

He did not stop there. He also quoted a tweet which told the story of this fighter. Ravi Ashwin has always been a man of few words but when he speaks, he makes sure he has made his point.

The 25-year-old was caught talking to PTI after the auctions and his happiness knew no bounds. He said that he felt surreal and thought he would never play in the Tamil Nadu premier league let alone the IPL. He said “It seems unreal. I never thought I would play in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, let alone the IPL. Very thankful that it has happened.”

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He also thanked the Indian spin maestro Ravi Ashwin and the former Indian bowler L Balaji who also happens to the TN bowling coach. He said that he was under a lot of pressure when he was selected for the TNPL but was helped by the senior players. He said, “There was a lot of pressure when I was picked to play in TNPL. But I am thankful to people like Ashwin, Vijay and L Balaji (TN bowling coach) who instilled the belief in me that I was good enough at the Ranji Trophy level. It was my dream to play in Ranji Trophy which has been fulfilled and now I look forward to meeting people in the IPL and learning from them.”

Cricket has turned the life of T.Natarajan from the interiors of TN.If only more sectors in our country could do that, we would have grown.?
— Ashwin Ravichandran (@ashwinravi99) February 20, 2017