A lot has changed in the life of T Natarajan. Overcoming adversities has been in his DNA. From being called for illegal action to suffering back injuries and to the latest collarbone fracture, the left-arm pacer has suffered setbacks and has only come back stronger. And this IPL season seems no different. Natarajan is not just back, but he is back doing what he loves doing – delivering yorkers. Or as Natarajan puts it in his heavy Tamil accent, ‘aerkaar’. But more than the previous setbacks, the collarbone fracture he suffered had tested him to the limits. Out of action for the majority of 2025, he had lost his rhythm. Ahead of the mini-auction, there were even deliberations in the Delhi Capitals (DC) camp about whether to retain him as he came at a cost of Rs 10.75 crore. But once they decided to keep him in the setup, DC and Natarajan had a roadmap for the IPL. When the ILT20 was on, he trained with the Dubai Capitals in Dubai. And then he was part of their off-season camps in Surat and Delhi, where he discovered the rhythm. And here he is now, with four wickets in three matches and again proving to be a reliable option at the death. As Natarajan prepares for a face-off against Chennai Super Kings on Saturday, he admitted how challenging it was to get his lethal weapon, the yorker, bang on target again. “A normal ball or a slower ball is easy to execute, but it’s not easy to execute a yorker. I feel the yorker is the hardest ball to execute. Whenever I had time in my village, I kept practicing the yorker with the tennis ball to. Before, I used to bowl the yorker with the cross-seamer. Now, I’m bowling with the seam up, which has helped. Cricket has changed a lot. Everyone, especially the batters, are planning so well and keep attacking from the powerplay. I want to stick to my plans and strength. Even if I get hit, I want to stick to my strengths. I have greater clarity now and I’ve had three good matches. Whatever I plan, I’m able to deliver and my confidence level is high,” Natarajan said on Friday. The switch to seam-up is perhaps a demand of the times. Having always bowled with cross-seam even in red-ball cricket, Natarajan now has opted for seam-up, which has allowed his deliveries, in particular the yorkers to dip at the last moment. “Bowling with the seam has been very difficult. After bowling with the cross-seam for so many years and now bowling seam yorkers has been very difficult. Why can’t I do it? I had that question in my mind. Ellaralayum panna mudiyum na [if everyone can do it], I can execute it too. I’ve not forced it and the [dip] is coming,” Natarjan said.Story continues below this ad Given the collarbone fracture he had, Natarajan admits the injury still plays in the back of his mind. But at the same time, he admits, how his life has changed in recent years has had a positive effect on his recovery. For a player who struggled to put a meal on his plate, during the rehab process, he had a diet plan and could take the necessary food intake. And even when it came to training and bowling, he could just do it in his village of Chinnappampatti, which again allows him to be with his family in Salem district. “I think a lot about injury. It’s always there in the back of my mind. Even some soreness is in the back of my mind. Whatever happens, I wanted to give my 100%. I had a strong belief in that, and the last one year has been a struggle. Whatever happens, I wanted to do well this year. After coming back from suspect action, I had the confidence that I can comeback from any setback. I was mentally weak at the time, but that gave me the confidence that I can overcome any challenge, including injuries. I motivated myself and I stayed true to myself and my strengths,” Natarajan said. Having suffered a last-ball defeat to Gujarat Titans, DC are looking to get back to winning ways in Chennai and Natarajan said their bowling unit gives them enough confidence. “The last three matches, we’ve bowled well as a team. Besides fast bowlers, we have two world-class spinners in Axar and Kuldeep. Mukesh and Lungi all have experience. Overall, the bowling unit looks superb for us.”
T Natarajan opens up on pain behind DC comeback ahead of IPL 2026 clash against CSK: ‘Injury always in my mind’
