Delhi Capitals (DC) had an average IPL 2025 campaign where they started in a very strong fashion but had an abysmal end as they lost four out of their last six games and ended up finishing on the fifth spot on the IPL points table. This poor run of form saw them lose out on making it to the playoffs.
Natarajan only bowled on one occasion in IPL 2025
One of the most questionable decisions that the DC management took during the season was giving just two matches to left-arm pacer T Natarajan, who the franchise acquired for a whopping fee of INR 10.75 crore. The seamer only bowled on one occasion throughout the season where he ended up giving away 49 runs in three overs against the Gujarat Titans.
DC coach Hemang Badani, who is currently a part of the commentary team in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), revealed why the left-arm bowler wasn't used much by the Delhi-based franchise in IPL 2025. Badani stated that Natarajan wasn't fully fit and had injury problems throughout the entire campaign.
"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,” Badani said.
Before IPL 2025, Natarajan had featured for two different teams over the course of six seasons in the league. After beginning his IPL career with the Kings XI Punjab in 2017, Natarajan would return to the league in the 2020/21 season with the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and proved to be highly impressive, picking up 16 scalps in as many matches.
Natarajan would stay with the Hyderabad-based franchise for the next four seasons and his best-ever campaign would come in IPL 2024 where he went on to take 19 wickets in 14 matches. However, one recurring thing in the 34-year-old's career so far has been injuries. Though he is a brilliant death bowler and very well knows how to bowl yorkers, injuries have lead to him missing a lot of matches.