Sunrisers Hyderabad's speedster T. Natarajan has been ruled out of the IPL 2021.
The 30-year-old will miss the tournament after his knee injury flared up again. Natarajan, who featured in just two IPL games this season, is expected to fly down to Bengaluru for a rehabilitation programme at the National Cricket Academy.
"He had a niggle during the Australia series, for which he had to miss the series against England. But he recovered and featured in the IPL. However, the old injury has flared up again, and it won't be possible for him to continue in the tournament again," a BCCI insider, aware of the development, said.
It will be a big blow for Sunrisers Hyderabad, which has won only one game so far. The franchise is yet to name a replacement for Natarajan.
On Wednesday, after winning its first match in this IPL, Sunrisers captain David Warner had stated: "He has obviously got a sore knee. Given the circumstance in these bubbles, if he goes and gets a scan, he obviously has to sit out for seven days. He has to get back in quarantine. We are just monitoring him at the moment. The physios are doing their best to analyse from a face point of view but he obviously has to go out and get a scan at some point."
However, the NCA physios have been monitoring the injury and it was decided that Natarajan will have to join the rehab. "We will be in a better position to comment once we have the full report," a source said, when asked about the future course of action at the NCA and whether a surgery will be required.
The India left-armer had a breakthrough IPL 2020, following which he was picked for the Australia tour, where he made his debut in all three formats.
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