T Natarajan’s story in IPL 2026 is one of the most quietly compelling comebacks of the season — a 35-year-old pacer who spent most of last year on the sidelines, returned to a new franchise with a Rs 10.75 crore price tag on his head, and responded with the most consistent yorker bowling in the competition.

A Year of False Starts and Empty Training Nets

The collarbone injury that derailed Natarajan’s IPL 2025 was only the latest in a series of setbacks that have punctuated his career since he burst into the national spotlight with twin hat-tricks in the T20I series against Australia in 2020.

In IPL 2025, he managed just two matches — then was sidelined for the rest of the tournament. He did return to competitive cricket in the Tamil Nadu Premier League last year, but was noticeably operating well below his usual pace bracket, clocking in the lower 120-kmph range instead of his familiar 130-plus. The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy showed similar rustiness.

Natarajan was clear about how difficult that period was.

“Last year, I had a collarbone injury and it was a difficult phase for me. The team management, support staff and coaches kept motivating me throughout and guided me on the kind of training I needed to do.”

“Coming back after injury is never easy, both mentally and physically. Every time I was doing well, unfortunately an injury came in the way.”

Six to Seven Months of Rebuilding — With Tennis Balls and Red Balls

What changed was the preparation. Over the off-season, Natarajan took himself through four separate training camps — in Delhi, Surat, Hyderabad and Dubai — each with specific goals tied to his fitness and ball skills.

His stint with head coach Hemang Badani at Dubai Capitals in the ILT20 UAE competition and sessions with bowling coach Munaf Patel in Surat formed the backbone of his rehabilitation. Patel’s input focused on rebuilding length control — and the tool he used was the red ball.

“I also discussed with Bhuvneshwar Kumar earlier, and he suggested practising with the red ball slowly to improve length control. That has helped me a lot in improving my bowling.”

And before the red ball, there was the humblest tool of all — the tennis ball.

“I have played tennis-ball cricket since childhood and that has helped me a lot. To improve my execution, I practised with tennis balls, weighted balls and red balls.”

“For the last six to seven months, I have worked extremely hard on my fitness and bowling. I have practised a lot to get back my yorkers and regain my rhythm. My confidence is high now and I’m very happy with how things are going.”

The Numbers That Tell the Comeback Story

The results have been immediate. Natarajan returned with 3/29 against Lucknow Super Giants in Delhi’s first IPL 2026 match — a spell that included the kind of toe-crushing yorkers that once made him SRH’s most lethal death option.

He has been the most prolific yorker bowler in IPL 2026 among Delhi’s attack — and across the competition, only Jasprit Bumrah (8) and Prince Yadav (8) have bowled more yorkers than his six in three innings so far.

Despite not yet operating at his highest pace range, his intelligence with the slower bouncer and his ability to “hide the ball away from the swinging arcs of batters” — as ESPNcricinfo described it — have made him one of the most effective death bowlers in the competition’s early weeks.

Natarajan explained his evolving mindset as a bowler plainly.

“Cricket has changed a lot and batters are much smarter now. They prepare very well and plan against bowlers. So for me, clarity of plans is the most important thing. I need to know what I want to execute in every situation. Even if I get hit, if my plans are clear, I back myself to deliver.”

DC Next Up: CSK at Chepauk

Natarajan was speaking ahead of DC’s IPL 2026 Match 18 against Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk on Saturday, April 11. DC come in with two wins from three completed matches. CSK are yet to open their account in three games — a struggling side that has conceded over 1,500 runs in three innings. The one question hanging over the match: whether MS Dhoni finally returns.

For Natarajan, it is a ground he knows well from his SRH days. And based on IPL 2026’s first few weeks, DC will need every yard of his precision if CSK’s big hitters finally fire at home.