I had to survive on midday meals during exams: T Natarajan

Born in the small village of Chinapampatti, Salem, seamer Thangarasu Natarajan earned his maiden IPL cap, playing for the Kings XI Punjab franchise in IPL 10. From domestic cricket to breaking into the IPL, it has been another rags-to-riches story. The 25-year-old pacer bagged a Rs 3 crore IPL contract with Kings XI after an impressive domestic season in Chennai.

T Natarajan initially played tennis ball cricket in 2011. Things changed when his family shifted to Chennai. Starting from the lower ranks in the fourth division, the left-arm seamer got a breakthrough in the Jolly Rovers, a club which has fielded big names like Ravichandran Ashwin and Murali Vijay. He got his next big break, enjoying a successful campaign with the Dindigul Dragons franchise in the inaugural Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL).

Natarajan recollects how stressful an experience it was to witness his IPL auction. In a few minutes, his base price of INR 10 lakhs saw a quantum 30-time leap to INR 3 crores, with Virender Sehwag vigorously raising the pedal for Kings XI Punjab.

Speaking about his auction, the pacer said, “It was just too much pressure. In my head, I knew I would make it but the final bid price was a bit of a shock.”

Consistent performances in the domestic circuit turned the eyes of the selectors and he subsequently received his call to represent the state in Ranji Trophy 15-16. Natarajan made his debut against Bengal at the Eden Gardens in 2015.

Served a one-year suspension owing to his suspicious bowling action

However, to add to his woes, soon enough his action came under scrutiny and had to serve a one-year suspension. His action was eventually modified under the watchful eyes of Sunil Subramanian, D Vasu, and others.

The medium pacer hails from a humble background in his early life as his mother ran a street side shop while his father worked as a porter at a railway station to make ends meet. Despite all the hardships, Natarajan never lacked perseverance and dedication.

Recalling his village days, the 26-year-old said, “We all understood that there was a lack of resources in the house. Our family got rice through the public distribution system. During school term, we survived on midday meals.”