"All he does is play cricket for 40 days a year" - Kris Srikkanth fires massive statement on discarded Indian pacer ahead of IPL 2027 auction

Former Indian captain Kris Srikkanth slammed discarded Team India pacer T Natarajan after his recent trade to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). SRH traded away leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari to Delhi Capitals (DC) for the left-arm pacer.

Natarajan played for SRH from 2020 to 2024, earning himself a reputation as a death-overs specialist. However, form and fitness have deserted him over the past two years, during which he took only five wickets in 12 matches for DC.

Talking about Natarajan moving back to SRH, Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel, Cheeky Cheeka (19:55):

"It's great for Natarajan because all he does is play cricket for 40 days a year. He doesn't play in the Ranji Trophy, yet they pay him well in the IPL. Natarajan's graph is slowly coming down over the last two years. I am not sure why SRH took him back with Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain already there."

Natarajan's price has been reduced from ₹10.75 crores, the value he was signed for by DC, to ₹5 crores in this trade. The left-arm pacer still boasts immense IPL experience with 73 matches across 10 years.

"Zeeshan Ansari going to DC is not a good idea" - Kris Srikkanth

Kris Srikkanth believes DC made a bad move by trading for Zeeshan Ansari, given the small boundaries at their home in Delhi. The leggie did not play a single match for SRH in IPL 2026.

However, he impressed in his maiden IPL season the year before, bagging six wickets in 10 games.

"Because of this move, SRH will probably let go of Unadkat and Harshal Patel. They'll take two other youngsters and look into the future. But Zeeshan Ansari going to DC is not a good idea. It's a small ground there, so he'll get smashed there. Of course, Natarajan will also get smashed on the flat Hyderabad track unless he brings in those deadly yorkers," said Srikkanth (via the aforementioned source).

While SRH qualified for the playoffs before losing to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Eliminator, DC failed to finish in the top four for a fifth consecutive season.

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