Son of a daily wage laborer, the journey from Salem's 'net bowler' to becoming a superstar worth crores
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T Natarajan son of daily wage worker: The son of a daily wage worker from Chinnapampatti, a small village in Tamil Nadu, is today the 'Yorker King' of IPL. T. Natarajan, who grew up in poverty, had once started with a tennis ball, but on the basis of his hard work, he created history by debuting in all three formats for Team India. Despite the injury-hit 2025 season, Delhi Capitals have proved his value by retaining him for Rs 10.75 crore for the IPL. His story is a living example of struggle to success.
T Natarajan debuted in all three formats in the same year.
New Delhi. It is said that if the intentions are steely, then the lines of fate automatically make their way. This story is about a boy from Chinnapampatti, a small village in Salem district of Tamil Nadu, who never had money to buy a cricket kit, but today his yorker uproots the stumps of batsmen all over the world. We are talking about T. Natarajan, whom the world knows today as 'Yorker King'. Left arm fast bowler Natarajan will play for Delhi Capitals in the IPL starting from March 28. Natarajan's last season was not good, yet Delhi expressed confidence in him and decided to retain this pacer for a huge amount.
The initial journey of T. Natrajan is no less than a film story. His father worked as a daily wage laborer, while his mother ran a small roadside shop to keep the household stove running. The financial condition of the house was so bad that cricket was like a dream for Natarajan. No shoes, no white jersey and no coaching. Initially he used to play only with tennis balls in the streets of the village.
T Natarajan debuted in all three formats in the same year.
The world changed at the age of 20
While most players start professional cricket at the age of 15-16, Natarajan did not even touch a leather ball until he was 20. His mentor Jayaprakash recognized his talent and showed him the right direction. His art of consistently bowling accurate yorkers with the tennis ball made him lethal in leather ball cricket as well. His biggest strength is his ability to bowl six accurate yorkers in an over.
Journey from Rs 3 crore to Rs 10.75 crore
The turning point of Natarajan's life was the 2017 IPL auction. When the Punjab team bought him for Rs 3 crore, it was as if his family's poverty went away overnight. After this, his journey with Sunrisers Hyderabad was even more spectacular. As the 2026 IPL season approaches, Natarajan's importance has increased further. Even though the 2025 season was challenging for him due to injuries and poor form, where he could play only two matches, but believing in his talent, Delhi Capitals (DC) retained him for a huge amount of Rs 10.75 crore. Today he is the most experienced and important part of Delhi's fast bowling attack.
Team India's 'historic' debut
A unique record is registered in the name of Natarajan. He became the first Indian player to debut in all three formats (Test, ODI and T20) on the same foreign tour (Australia, 2020-21). Natarajan, who went to Australia as a net bowler, made it to the main team with his hard work and played an important role in the historic victory of Gabba.
About the Author
Active in journalism for about 15 years. Studied from Delhi University. Interested in sports especially cricket, badminton, boxing and wrestling. Covered IPL, Commonwealth Games and Pro Wrestling League events. From February 2022…read more
