IPL 2022: Changed action helping Natarajan add pace

Natarajan is in the midst of a dream spell for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing IPL 15. The 31-year-old left-arm pacer missed a major portion of last season due to knee injury and Covid, but has made a strong comeback and has so far taken 12 wickets from 6 games for the Kane Williamson-led side. He has troubled the batsmen with pace and delivered yorkers consistently at the death.

However, Natarajan admitted that there were nerves ahead of his first IPL game this season. "I was (nervous) as I had been away from competitive cricket for the last few months. But once I began to bowl and got into my rhythm, things fell into place," Natarajan told TOI on Monday.

Natarajan played just two games for SRH during the first leg in India last year before injuring his left knee which required surgery. He was subsequently hit by Covid which ruled him out of the UAE leg of last year's IPL. Natarajan featured in Tamil Nadu's triumphant Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 campaign in November 2021 but issues with his knee flared up and he missed the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the Ranji Trophy.

"I had to undergo rehab at the NCA in Bengaluru for a few months and then trained in Chennai and at my hometown (Salem). I wanted to use this time to not only work on my fitness but also on my game skills," Natarajan mentioned. Not only has he added more pace to his bowling, Natarajan has also tweaked his run-up.

"I have made subtle changes in my run-up to the crease. Lot of running during the rehab phase has made me fitter. As a result, I am able to bowl a yard quicker than I did before," Natarajan pointed out.