Once they get him, SRH will have ample flexibility.
Before the IPL 2025 auction, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) had an explosive batting unit and a bowler who led them to the final in the previous season. So, they focused on the batting department and decided to form a new bowling attack, with Cummins being the sole retention in the bowling unit. Among the big names released were Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T Natarajan, two of the finest SRH bowlers ever.
While Bhuvneshwar’s absence left a massive gap, Natarajan was equally missed. He had been bowling all the tough overs for the franchise and was still successful for a long period. Natarajan established himself as a death-over specialist.
Natarajan was in high demand in the IPL 2025 auction, and Delhi Capitals (DC) eventually bought him for INR 10.75 crore. Unfortunately, he didn’t play enough games due to a shoulder injury. He featured in only two games and bowled in one of the innings, conceding 49 runs at an economy rate of 16.33
His absence was clearly visible as DC failed to win enough matches in the second half and were ruled out of the competition at a stage where they looked set to qualify for the playoffs. They had the third-worst economy rate (11.39) in the final four overs. Among the four pacers to play multiple matches, three went for an economy rate of more than 11.
While DC struggled in Natarajan’s absence, they might still release him ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. There are multiple reasons to leave him. Firstly, Natarajan costs a whopping INR 10.75 crore, and DC have three specialist bowlers over INR 10 crore, which clearly has its drawbacks.
No other team had more than two specialist bowlers over this price bracket. Then, they had Mukesh Kumar for INR 8 crore. While forming the squad, DC focused on strengthening the bowling department, and they still had to settle for a few middling options.
Hence, they can’t afford to keep all three, and Natarajan looks the easiest target. DC can’t let Kuldeep Yadav and Mitchell Starc go, given the value they bring and their position in the team. While Natarajan deserves this amount, he might be overpriced in DC’s setup.
They need to fill other crucial slots, including finding a solid opener after mediocre seasons from Faf du Plessis and Jake Fraser-McGurk, and need to free some purse. There are also a few middle-order voids. Hence, Natarajan will likely be left out.
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After releasing Bhuvneshwar and Natarajan, SRH opted for Mohammed Shami and Harshal Patel as lead pacers. While the latter did a decent job, the former was mediocre and nowhere close to his best. Shami’s primary job was to bring powerplay wickets, but he couldn’t find any rhythm at any stage of the tournament.
Even overall, he has been mediocre since his comeback and can be released. He costs a big sum and doesn’t offer batting value either. Harshal should keep his spot, but SRH will still need a quality pacer, and that’s where they can bring in Natarajan.
After releasing Shami, SRH will have INR 10 crore free to spend on a bowler, and Natarajan’s value will be close to this amount. Once they get him, SRH will have ample flexibility – thanks to his superior old-ball expertise. Once he’s in, they can maximise other bowlers’ strengths more than they could last season.
Pat Cummins can bowl more with the new ball, while Harshal Patel gets to bowl in the middle. Harshal can also bowl in death overs, but with Cummins and Shami, SRH didn’t have other solid death-over bowlers. In fact, SRH gave only Shami a solitary over in the final-four phase, showing they didn’t have enough trust in his abilities.
Harshal himself can be vulnerable because he mostly relies on slower balls, which have often proved futile on flat decks. His off-pace deliveries don’t grip enough into the surface due to being flat, even though he still managed to bowl well in patches. But the situation clearly demands a death-over specialist who can back his yorkers and vary his lengths.
Natarajan ticks that box and has a good track record, which SRH know better than any other franchise. In IPL 2023 and 2024, he had the third-best economy rate (9.80) among pacers with at least 15 death overs. Additionally, he conceded a boundary every 4.44 deliveries and bowled 29.81% dot balls.
If he plays, Cummins won’t be required to bowl in death overs and operate in his stronger phases – powerplay and middle overs. Then, Natarajan can also bowl a few in the powerplay and has done well in this phase before. He doesn’t necessarily need to start the innings and can rather bowl the fifth or sixth over, where batters usually go harder, and his death-over skills can be helpful.
Ideally, SRH should initiate a trade deal with DC and check if there’s scope for it. That will be the best way to get him. SRH have the likes of Ishan Kishan, who looked like a misfit in their team but will fit perfectly in the DC setup. That can be one way to do a trade deal.
But if this doesn’t work, SRH can hope Natarajan comes into the auction, and they can go all-out for him. They should release Kishan and Shami and get a reasonable purse to spend on him and other slots. Fortunately, SRH can afford to do so, given that most other positions are settled, even if they didn’t perform well last season.
The bowling attack will be complete once they have Natarajan. With Shami, SRH became a bit one-dimensional and light in death overs. A return to the SRH setup for T Natarajan won’t be surprising.
