Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has expressed his surprise over SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer T Natarajan's exclsuion from India's T20 World Cup 2024 squad. With 13 wickets in seven matches, Natarajan is one of the contenders to win the Purple Cap this season. While the player was considered for selection, his name was missing from the 15-man squad as well as the four travelling reserves. Watson highlighted how India could've benefited from Natarajan's ability to consistently bowl a yorker.
"His ability to put that yorker in, his variations of speed when he needs to bowl that, it's something he continues to produce over and over again. That's why I was surprised that he wasn't in the Indian T20 squad because of his consistency of performances, especially when he's bowling in crucial times of the game when batters are going strong. He's someone that everyone in Indian and world cricket is really happy when he's doing well," Watson said on Jio Cinema.
Apart from Watson, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar also lauded the Natarajan's performances in IPL 2024 and said that he could've been in the team.
"I was thinking more like T Natarajan, the left-arm pacer bowler. He has been bowling extremely well. So, I thought maybe he could have been in the team. But that's okay. I think the seam bowlers that they have got, they all have experience. So no problem with that," he said.
As far as India's T20 World Cup squad is concerned, Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace battery, with Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep to fight it out for the second spot in the playing.
India also included Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan in the list of travelling reserves.
India's squad for T20 World Cup 2024: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.
Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Avesh Khan