Laxman Explains Why SRH Played Khaleel Ahead of Natarajan vs MI

The Sunrisers side lost to Mumbai Indians by 13 runs after failing to chase the 151-run target set by Rohit’s team.

T Natarajan during a training session for SRH in IPL 2020. 

Image: BCCI

Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler T Natarajan was replaced by Khaleel Ahmed against Mumbai Indians because of an injury, VVS Laxman confirmed after the game. SRH lost their third consecutive game this season against MI.

“Yeah, unfortunately, Natarajan missed out because of a sore knee and a niggle in his left knee, he was ruled out of this match. So, he was unfit for this match and that’s why we went with Khaleel Ahmed. We are going to assess the condition of Natarajan and I’m sure that the medical staff of Sunrisers will take the right decision which will be beneficial for him and the franchise,” Laxman said.

The Sunrisers side lost to Mumbai Indians by 13 runs after failing to meet the 150/5 set by Rohit Sharma’s team. Despite the setback, Laxman praised Ahmed for conceding just 24 runs in four overs, taking one wicket in the process.

“I was very impressed with the way Khaleel Ahmed bowled in his first game of the season. I think he assessed the conditions really well and used a lot of his variation along with extracting a lot of pace and bounce off the surface. So, a lot of positives for SRH in the Khaleel Ahmed bowled,” he said.

With Natarjan’s name missing from the line-up, fans and experts were surprised but Tom Moody, Director of Cricket for Sunrisers Hyderabad, put the rumors to rest, saying, “Not dropped, rested – managing his workload, we know it’s a long tournament and he’s had quite a lot of cricket already under his belt.”

It is likely that Ahmed will stay on until news of Natarajan’s recovery comes to light.