T Natarajan In, Mohammed Shami Out: Virender Sehwag picks India’s pace trio for 2021 T20 World Cup

Debutant T Natarajan grabbed all the eyeballs during the ongoing limited-overs series against Australia. The 29-year old turned out to be a massive boost for the ‘Men in Blue’ as India’s find for a left-arm pacer. 

Cricket experts from all over leapt praises for the ‘yorker king’ of team India. T Natarajan impressed the former Indian opener turned commentator Virender Sehwag as well. He backed Natarajan for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in 2021.

Sehwag picked him in the playing XI over the likes of Mohammed Shami and Deepak Chahar. Ace fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar complete India’s pace trio for the much-awaited mega event.

“India will have a very strong bowling lineup for the T20 World Cup if T Natarajan plays with Bumrah and Bhuvi. The T20 format is such that a bowler who gives fewer runs today, can get hit tomorrow,” said Sehwag at Sony Network’s cricket talk show.

Also Read | India vs Australia: ‘T Natarajan has put Mohammed Shami under pressure in T20Is,’ believes Sanjay Manjrekar

“But his execution is very good, whether it is the yorker, slower one or a length ball. Bumrah also has the same quality. He will realise after this tour, how big a change it has brought to his career. People will be wanting to learn from him and trying to become like him,” he added.

‘Natarajan never believed to play for India’

Virender Sehwag recalled his conversation with T Natarajan after Murali Vijay had recommended him to sign the speedster Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017. Sehwag told that ‘Nattu’ aspired to play for India at that time but he never believed to be able to do so.

“He had told me that his dream was also to play for India but he didn’t feel that he would be able to play in the IPL or for India,” said Sehwag.

Also Read | Hardik Pandya can be the next global cricket superstar after Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni: Michael Vaughan