Former Australian cricketer Shane Watson has expressed surprise over the omission of Thangarasu Natarajan from India’s T20 World Cup squad.
Natarajan, a pace bowler for the SunRisers Hyderabad, is currently a leading contender for the IPL’s Purple Cap with 13 wickets in just seven matches. Despite his impressive form, he was not included in the final 15-man squad or the four travelling reserves. It concerned several cricket experts, including Australian cricket legend Shane Watson. According to him, Natarajan’s bowling prowess is promising, and selectors should have included him in the squad.
Watson, speaking on Jio Cinema, highlighted Natarajan’s consistent ability to bowl yorkers, a valuable skill in T20 cricket. “His ability to put that yorker in, his variations of speed when he needs to bowl that—it’s something he continues to produce over and over again. That’s why I was surprised that he wasn’t in the Indian T20 squad because of his consistency of performances, especially when he’s bowling in crucial times of the game when batters are going strong. He’s someone that everyone in Indian and world cricket is really happy when he’s doing well,” said Watson, as quoted by NDTV.
Another legend, Sunil Gavaskar, echoed Watson’s sentiments, praising Natarajan’s IPL performances and suggesting his potential inclusion. “I was thinking more like T. Natarajan, the left-arm pacer bowler. He has been bowling extremely well. So, I thought maybe he could have been on the team. But that’s okay. I think the seam bowlers that they have have experience. So no problem with that,” he said, though not totally disagreeing with the exclusion.
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While Natarajan misses out, Jasprit Bumrah will lead India’s pace attack in the World Cup. Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh are expected to compete for the second-pace bowler slot in the playing XI. India has also named Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan as travelling reserves. As of the tournament, India will begin their campaign for the T20 World Cup against Ireland on June 5th.
Last Updated on May 5, 2024
