Former Indian batsman VVS Laxman took to Twitter to laud Hardik Pandya on his gesture for T Natarajan after the third T20I against Australia. Pandya, who received the Man of the Series award for his impressive performances with the bat, went to Natarajan and gave him the trophy.
The left-arm pacer took six wickets in three matches throughout the T20I series. He played a key role in the side’s series win against Australia, as India came back to winning ways after the loss in ODIs. Virat Kohli’s men won the series 2-1.
Taking to Twitter, Laxman also heaped praise on Natarajan for his “improvement and progress” in the tour of Australia.
“Excellent gesture from @hardikpandya7. Great to see him exhibiting qualities of a leader. Also feel very happy for @Natarajan_91 I have no doubt Nattu will continue to work hard and show improvement and progress in his craft. Good luck,” wrote Laxman.
Natarajan was selected on the back of impressive performances in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League. He took 16 wickets in as many matches in the tournament for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Natarajan made an impact on his ODI debut as well, picking the wickets of Marnus Labuchange and Ashton Agar in another match-winning spell in the third game of the series at the Manuka Oval.
“The last few months have been surreal. My maiden outing with Team India and we won the T20I series. A dream come true moment made special by the champion bunch,” Natarajan had said in a tweet on Wednesday.
“I thank my teammates for their constant support and encouragement. Thank you everyone for your love and support,” he added.
Team India skipper Virat Kohli also praised Natarajan’s work ethic and revealed that he could be a handy asset heading into the T20 World Cup to be played at home next year.
