T Natarajan released from Tamil Nadu Vijay Hazare squad to stay ‘fresh’ for England ODIs and T20Is

Tamil Nadu have been dealt a minor blow in their pursuit of doing a limited-overs double in the 2020/21 domestic season as pace spearhead T Natarajan, who last week was named in the squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, has been released from the TN squad upon request from the BCCI. Natarajan was all set to feature in the Vijay Hazare Trophy prior to the 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs versus England, but the BCCI, earlier this week, intervened and requested the TNCA to release the 29-year-old.

The Indian management are said to have been keen in keeping the left-arm pacer fresh, and thus the Sunrisers Hyderabad star will now instead head to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru where he will gear up for the England tour.

"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the team management want him fresh. It is in the national interest and so we are ready to oblige," Cricbuzz quoted TNCA secretary S Ramasamy as saying.  

"We had named a replacement should he be not available and that issue has been sorted out. We have released Natarajan."

Natarajan was a key part of the Tamil Nadu squad in the 2019/20 Vijay Hazare Trophy, in which the Dinesh Karthik-led side reached the final. The left-armer took 12 wickets in 11 innings at a miserly ER of 4.19 and was one of the major reasons behind a young Tamil Nadu side reaching the final of the competition. Having won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last month without the services of Natarajan, the DK-led side would be aiming to replicate the same feat come the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which will commence on February 20.