[ad_1]
Fast bowler T Natarajan couldn’t take part in the second leg of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. But he made a comeback for the Orange Army in their opening game in IPL 2022 against Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. The left-armer was a tad expensive as he leaked 43 runs in the four overs he bowled.
But after conceding 36 runs in his first three overs without getting a wicket, the pacer made a stupendous comeback. Skipper Kane Williamson entrusted him to bowl the final over of the innings and Natarajan didn’t let him and his team down. He picked up two wickets and gave away a mere seven runs.
Watch: TV umpire gives a shocker; Kane Williamson falls to questionable tag team catch
He didn’t start the over well as Shimron Hetmyer played a scoop shot and hit him over fine leg for a four. But Natarajan came back strongly and got rid of the West Indies batter with a peach of a delivery. The Tamil Nadu-born bowler bowled a yorker and Hetmyer found it too hot too handle.
Hetmyer tried to get under the ball, but instead, saw his stumps go for a walk. Hetmyer could easily have done more damage in the last few deliveries in the Royals’ innings. The left-hander scored 32 runs off 13 balls with the help of two fours and three sixes.
Here’s the video of T Natarajan dismissing Shimron Hetmyer
Natarajan cleaned up dangerous Hetmyer with brilliant yorker!! #IPL2022 pic.twitter.com/XBAX9cQjFP
— Ashmin Aryal (@AryalAshmin) March 29, 2022
After dismissing Hetmyer, Natarajan didn’t allow the other batters to get under him. Nathan Coulter-Nile and Riyan Parag could only pick up singles. In the last ball of the innings, Natarajan got his second wicket in the form of Parag, who was caught down the leg side.
Despite the stupendous last over from Natarajan, the Royals put up a massive score of 210 for six after being sent into bat first. Samson top-scored for them with a 27-ball knock of 55, laced with three fours and five sixes.
Devdutt Padikkal, who joined the Royals after being released by the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), scored 41 runs before Umran Malik castled him. But it was Hetmyer’s late blitz that took the Royals over the 200-run mark. Natarajan and Malik picked up two wickets apiece for the Sunrisers.
[ad_2]
Source link
