As Sunrisers Hyderabad fast bowler T Natarajan gears up for IPL 2021, the fast bowler has revealed how MS Dhoni’s advice changed the canvas of his cricketing career. Incidentally, the pacer from Tamil Nadu had a rollercoaster ride in the last couple of months making India debut in all three formats on the back of a terrific run in IPL 2020 in the UAE.

Natarajan, who bowled a maximum of 71 yorkers among all pacers in the last IPL, dismissed big names such as Dhoni and AB de Villiers during the season. He earned praise from all quarters and was rewarded with the national cap. T Natarajan was an immediate success in the limited-overs format against Australia and also showcased potential in red-ball cricket.

MS Dhoni’s advice helped me a lot – T Natarajan

As he looks to repeat what he did a couple of months back, Natarajan recalled how a piece of advice from MS Dhoni helped him improve his game manifolds. The left-arm pacer will partner senior cricketer Bhuvneshwar Kumar to lead the pace attack of Sunrisers Hyderabad.

“Speaking to somebody like Dhoni itself is a big thing. He spoke to me about fitness and encouraged me, saying that I will keep getting better with experience. He said, use slow bouncers, cutters, and variations like that. It has been useful for me,” Natarajan was quoted as saying by ‘ESPNcricinfo’.

Meanwhile, before that, MS Dhoni was dismissed by the Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer. Recalling the wicket, T Natarajan said that he was dispatched for a 102-meter six in the previous ball and was only thinking about that even after getting his wicket. However, the pacer, who recently became a father, admitted to being happy once he returned to the dressing room.

“I pitched one in the slot and he hit me for a big six – 102 meters or something. The next ball I got his wicket (and didn’t celebrate) — I was just thinking about that previous ball. After coming back to the dressing room, though, I was happy. After finishing the match, I also had a chat with him,” Natarajan added.