T Natarajan is currently focussing on white-ball cricket and avoiding red-ball format due to his knee issues. The 33-year-old hasn’t been involved in the longest format since his Test debut against Australia in 2021.

He took three wickets in the first innings, but since then, he has been struggling with injuries that have led to his absence from red-ball cricket.

Despite being named in the Tamil Nadu squad in the previous season, Natarajan pulled out of Ranji Trophy due to fitness concerns.

Speaking to the Times of India, he opened up about his absence from the format.

“I haven’t played red-ball cricket for almost four years. I want to be a part of the format, but it puts pressure on my body. I am avoiding red-ball cricket. When my workload increases, it impacts my knees. I have stopped playing in the longest format,”  Natarajan said.

“Red-ball cricket is more important for me”: T Natarajan

He clarified that red-ball cricket is more important to him than the white-ball format. Natarajan has played 21 first-class matches, taking 67 scalps for Tamil Nadu.

“Red-ball cricket is more important than white-ball cricket. If I train well for the next two years, there is a possibility of me returning to red-ball games. But right now, I am only looking at shorter formats,” he added.

He took 19 wickets in 14 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024.