Hemang Badani, coach of Delhi Capitals, clarified T Natarajan’s unavailability during the IPL 2025 season. Badani said that the Tamil Nadu fast bowler missed out on the matches in IPL 2025 because he wasn’t fit, not because he was dropped. While providing commentary in a Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2025 match. Badani explained that Natarajan’s recovery was hampered by his injury, and this made it hard for him to get fit during the tournament.
“Why would we spend 11 crore on a player & bench him? We bought him specifically for the middle & end overs – Unfortunately, Natarajan wasn’t fully fit after returning from injury – remained injured throughout the season, that’s why he didn’t play.”
Delhi Capitals coach Hemang Badani reveals the reasons behind T. Natarajan’s limited appearances in IPL 2025, playing just a single match all season.#IPL2025 #DelhiCapitals #HemangBadani pic.twitter.com/vEUlU2bsCM
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) June 7, 2025
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The Capitals finished their IPL season in fifth position with 15 points. A post-season berth slipped away because of their narrow loss, making both players and fans upset. Many people discussed that T Natarajan was not included in the side after their exit and this led to speculation about his choice.
T Natarajan’s enormous ₹10.75 crore Deal
Delhi Capitals acquired Natarajan by paying a huge sum of ₹10.75 crore in the mega auction of IPL 2025. Gujarat Titans bought their pacer for a big sum which was just behind the purchases of KL Rahul and Mitchell Starc. Since Natarajan rarely featured in the playing team, fans and experts shared many thoughts and questions.
Delhi Capitals Started Strongly But Failed Miserably
After being led by Axar Patel, Delhi Capitals started IPL 2025 with six wins in their first eight games, making it seem possible for them to rank among the top two teams. They managed to win again in the first match of the second half, but their results were not as strong after that.
Natarajan was noticed in particular when he played a key role during India’s win over Australia in 2021. Even so, recurring injuries and being worried about how much cricket he is playing have prompted him to reduce his involvement in Tests. After making his debut in Tests, he has not taken part in any first-class games.
