The latest fast bowling sensation of Team India, T Natarajan has been released to play for Tamil Nadu in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy ODI competition, as the BCCI the pacer to stay fresh for the limited-overs series (5 T20Is, 3 ODIs) against England next month, a top TNCA official said on Thursday. 

Informing the same during a chat with PTI, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) secretary R S Ramasaamy said, “The BCCI and the Indian team management wanted Natarajan to be fresh for the white-ball leg of the series against England. Keeping the Indian team’s interests in mind we said yes.”

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R S Jaganath Srinivas will take Natarajan’s place in the 20-member squad which is scheduled to be leaving for Indore on February 13. Natarajan was earlier included in a 20-man Tamil Nadu squad for the tournament which is scheduled to be commencing on February 20. Tamil Nadu had recently won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Ahmedabad.

The first of the five T20Is against England will be played on March 12 in Ahmedabad, while the first ODI will be taking place in Pune on March 23. The Tamil Nadu chief of selectors S Vasudevan also confirmed the development and said Natarajan has been released from the Vijay Hazare Trophy squad.

Natarajan had become the first Indian player to make his international debut across all three formats during the tour of Australia. He also featured in India’s series-clinching Brisbane Test after making his maiden T20I and ODI appearances earlier on the tour. 

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Despite him managing to play just the last ODI against Australia, he managed to scalp a couple of wickets. However, in the following three-match T20I series, he managed to pick six wickets.