IPL 2021: T Natarajan to travel with SRH for UAE leg

With the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 being just around the corner, teams and players are gearing up to make a mark. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) indeed have some work to do in UAE as they had a disastrous campaign earlier this year. With just one win in seven outings, the 2016 champions were reeling at the rock bottom of the team standings.

Moreover, a couple of more defeats would officially end their chances of making a place in the playoffs. While the SRH camp would be tensed ahead of the UAE leg, T Natarajan’s availability must boost their morale. The left-arm pacer has recovered from his knee injury and is set to travel alongside his SRH teammates to Dubai on August 31.

T Natarajan set to feature in UAE leg

“We’ve got the go-ahead and he will be traveling with us to Dubai on August 31,” an SRH official told Cricbuzz. For the unversed, Natarajan was ruled out of the first leg of IPL 2021 due to a knee injury. He subsequently underwent surgery and has been in and out of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for about three months.

Nevertheless, the medical team of NCA feels Natarajan is fit enough to travel to UAE. Hence, the pacer would be raring to make a mark. With the pitches in UAE being slow and dry, the left-arm fast bowler’s variations would be mighty effective. Moreover, it has to be noted that Natarajan became a household name after his sensational run in last year’s IPL.

The bucket of variations in his arsenal and pinpoint yorkers made him a nemesis for many batters. Overall, he took 16 wickets in as many games as SRH advanced to the final four for the fifth straight season. Hence, the Kane Williamson-led side would want Natarajan to replicate his heroics in the Arab nation.

Not to forget, the high-voltage T20 World Cup 2021 will get underway days after the conclusion of this year’s IPL. Hence, Natarajan needs to prove his fitness and prowess in SRH colours to stake a claim in India’s squad for the global event. Meanwhile, IPL 2021 will resume on September 19.