Red-letter day for Natarajan

From a base price of Rs 10 lakh, the 25-year-old’s price tag went up to Rs 3 crore in a matter of minutes. “I am excited,” Natarajan told DTNext, who came through the TNPL and Ranji Trophy last year before playing well in the T20 competition. 

Natarajan, whose parents worked as porter and street vendor near Salem, said his stint with Dindigul Dragons in TNPL under Ravichandran Ashwin changed his career. 

Natarajan, known for his yorkers, was bound to be a success in T20, though his first shot at Ranji Trophy in 2015 was cut short when he was reported for suspect action. But he fought back strongly, working with renowned coach Sunil Subramaniam and then with L Balaji who helped him recover with a remodelled action. 

“People are talking about him now only, but in my mind he is an international bowling prospect. After Balaji, he is Tamil Nadu’s best new ball prospect,” said Sunil.