Flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Pandya heaped huge praise for India’s fast-bowling sensation T Natarajan after 2-1 series win over Australia on Tuesday. Natarajan made his international debut in the third ODI match of the ongoing tour of Australia. The left-arm seamer impressed everyone with his skills in the match and was backed by the team management to play in all three T20Is against Australia. The 29-year-old shone in the shortest format and picked most wickets in the series – 6.

Pandya, who was chosen as Man of the Series for his extraordinary hitting, said Natarajan deserves the trophy from his side.

“Natarajan, you were outstanding this series. To perform brilliantly in difficult conditions on your India debut speaks volumes of your talent and hard work. You deserve Man of the Series from my side bhai! Congratulations to team India on the win,” Pandya tweeted.

After the game, Pandya also hailed Natarjan’s talent and said to perform so so brilliantly on debut speaks volumes of his belief.

“I want people to believe in themselves and to achieve anything even if odds are against them. It’s just my way of appreciating his hard work over the years. For me, Natrajan deserves the Man of the Series award. To perform so brilliantly on his debut speaks volumes of his belief and the talent he possesses,” ANI quoted Pandya as saying.

Earlier, cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar also talked highly of Natajran after first T20I and said the left-arm seamer has put senior paceman Mohammed Shami under pressure as a T20I bowler.

“What he has done is he has put Mohammed Shami under pressure as a T20I bowler. Now India will be really tempted to have him along with Bumrah as one of his seamers,” Manjrekar said on Sony Six after India defeated Australia by 11 runs in the T20I series opener.

“This is a guy who can bowl at the death. If you have Bumrah and Natarajan, it just puts pressure on Shami because Chahar is from a different school of swing,” he added.