Indian cricketer T Natarajan, renowned as ‘Yorker specialist’ hailing from Tamil Nadu, recently shared his challenges while playing for the Punjab team in the IPL series. Speaking at a college event in Salem, he encouraged students to learn languages early in life, reflecting on his own experiences. Natarajan admitted struggling due to his lack of Hindi proficiency during his tenure with Punjab. He emphasized the importance of self-control and self-confidence, urging everyone to believe in their abilities.
Cricketer Natarajan expressed his intention to sponsor aspiring young cricketers from his village so they don’t face the hardships he endured. Speaking warmly to students at his college, he recounted his humble beginnings, growing up in poverty and often going hungry. He emphasized the importance of perseverance and seeing challenges as stepping stones towards success. Natarajan credited his brother for guiding him in cricket, emphasizing the value of taking advice to achieve goals.
During the interaction, Natarajan shared insights on cricket and personalities like MS Dhoni and actor Ajith Kumar. He praised Dhoni’s positive influence on the CSK team and spoke highly of Ajith Kumar’s humility and support during his birthday celebration. Reflecting on his debut with the Indian team, Natarajan shared his experience with the students.
Recalling his journey from a humble village, Natarajan stressed the significance of staying grounded despite success. He highlighted gratitude as essential, citing how he cherishes his roots while adapting to different environments. Despite his Hindi limitations, Natarajan expressed gratitude towards Sridhar and Sehwag for supporting him in the Punjab team, where Tamil was sparingly spoken.
Natarajan stated, “I know nothing but Tamil. It was all Hindi there. Former fielding coach Sridhar sir was there, he knows Tamil. Whatever it was, he will communicate it to me. It was very difficult for me. I felt like I was alone. I struggled a lot in the beginning. Because I love sports, I will play despite difficulties; Nothing could have been done if we had stood aside thinking that this was a problem.”
Later he said, “Sehwag sir supported me a lot. When it comes to injuries in IPL matches, he will say first look at the family. Motivate me a lot. But there were many struggles that’s why I’m saying either it is right or wrong you start to speak from here. when you get that confidence you will later start to speak. Only in 2018 after coming to SRH I started to speak more. ”
தமிழ் மட்டும்தான் தெரியும்.. ஹிந்தி தெரியாது… சேவாக் சார்தான் Support பண்ணாரு… நடராஜன் பகிர்ந்த அனுபவம்!#Salem #Natarajan #CricketerNatarajan #Newstamil #Newstamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/Gc9h3DQleY
— News Tamil 24×7 (@NewsTamilTV24x7) July 8, 2024
Recently, Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin, also emphasised of learning Hindi while launching his book titled “I Have the Streets: A Kutty Cricket Story.” In a conversation with Radhakrishnan, Content Head, CSK, Ashwin shared his thoughts on the challenges of not knowing how to converse in Hindi, offering an insightful perspective. “Not knowing Hindi can be proudly expressed as ‘Hindi Theriyadu Poda‘. Alternatively, it can be viewed as ‘If we don’t learn it, it could be difficult‘, a mindset that can lead to significant personal growth.”
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