One of the finds of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) left-arm seamer T Natarajan has pulled himself out of the ongoing season due to a knee injury. Hyderabad are yet to name any replacement of him officially.
Natarajan missed out on the last two Hyderabad games in IPL 2021 after playing the first two. SRH Skipper David Warner earlier informed that he had been recovering from an injury he had sustained in Australia four months ago. Now, both Natarajan and his team have been hit a major blow.
Natarajan had played a key role for Hyderabad in the absence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the UAE. He picked up 16 wickets in 16 matches to help Hyderabad reach the Playoffs. He was also the second-highest wicket-taker for SRH in IPL 2020, behind Rashid Khan (20).
Mostly known for his yorkers, Natarajan had been struggling with his line and length even before the IPL began. In the recently concluded India-England series, he had focused mainly on the length delivery. The ratio of bowling in the block-hole, too, had come down.
Khaleel Ahmed, who picked up 3-21 against Punjab Kings in the recent outing, may not be a bad option for SRH for the remainder of the season. He played a pivotal role in Hyderabad’s only victory after four matches so far in IPL 2021.
Hyderabad are currently sitting at fifth in the points table, between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Warner & co. will lock horns with Delhi Capitals (DC) next in Match 20 of the IPL 2021, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, on April 25.