Thangarasu Natarajan had a memorable initiation into international cricket during India’s 2020-21 tour of Australia when he made his debut across formats.
However, apart from memories and rich experience, Natarajan also reportedly ended up picking a knee injury from the tour which he carried into IPL 2021 where after playing just two matches for his franchise (Sunrisers Hyderabad), the pacer opted out of the season to undergo surgery in April this year.
The suspension of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 due to the rising COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble was no less than a blessing in disguise for the Tamil Nadu speedster.
He is on the way to recovery and undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. While speaking with the New Indian Express in an interview, Natarajan said he is aiming to return to the UAE leg of the tournament.
'I am progressing well after the surgery. I have started training slowly. I will start bowling at full tilt in the nets by the end of this month. My focus right now is on recovering fully and returning by the time the IPL restarts,' Natarajan said.
'The fact that the IPL got suspended when it did has turned out to be a good thing in the end. None of it was in my hands of course,' he added.
Following the rescheduled IPL 2021, Team India will shift their focus on the much-awaited T20 World Cup which starts from 17 October in the UAE. However, Natarajan isn’t thinking about that right now. Instead, he is focusing on returning to the field as soon as possible.
'I am not thinking about the T20 World Cup right now. I am thinking more about my recovery. If I do well in the IPL, the chance to be selected for the T20 World Cup will come on its own. That is my belief. But for that, my recovery needs to be spot on,' he concluded.
