A village called Chinnapampatti is about 366 km from Salem in Tamil Nadu. Like any other village in Salem, the life of the Chinnapampattis revolves around textile mills and agriculture. If you get one acre of land, there is vegetable cultivation, if you have 5 acres, a textile mill – that is the equation that the soil of Chinnapampatti has known for so long. It was there that on June 23, a cricket ground was opened on four and a half acres of land – NCG or Natarajan Cricket Ground!
The dreamland of Chinnapampatti’s own Thankarasu Natarajan, a thirty-two-year-old who learned to bowl in the barren fields of Chinnapampatti and later played for Tamil Nadu and the Indian team. It was the dream of taking a group of young people who did not think beyond tennis ball cricket to the wider world of professional cricket, that motivated Natarajan to spend all his income from cricket to prepare a cricket ground with all kinds of facilities in his country.
∙ To soil of NCG
NCG was built in two years in the center of the village. It is the only ground in the district with a turf wicket after the ground owned by the Salem Cricket Association. 366 km away, almost all the facilities available at the Tamil Nadu Cricket Academy in Chennai such as a hostel for 50 children to stay and train, canteen, training equipment and the services of the best coaches; And that too completely free.
Natarajan
Natarajan was motivated by the thought that not a single child in his village should have to limit his dreams due to lack of money or facilities. ‘If they need a way, I am ready to cut that way. But they are the ones who have to move forward. NCG has given way. Now let them walk towards the cricket dreams they have seen’- Natarajan’s words during the ground inauguration.
∙ Periya dreams
Father Thankarasu, who works in a textile mill, mother Shantha, who runs a threshing shop, and 4 younger siblings. Natarajan’s house was no different from other houses in Chinnapampatti. Their family of 7 lived in a one-room house. There is no toilet or bathroom attached to the house. In his youth, Natarajan earned the money he needed by distributing newspapers and milk.
Due to his interest in cricket, he started playing tennis ball cricket tournaments in the country without exception. Natarajan gradually grew into a prominent bowler in tennis ball tournaments in Chinnapampatti. People started coming from all the nearby villages to get Natarajan in the team by paying money. Natarajan, who was behind in his studies, stopped his studies midway and became a full-time cricketer.
∙ Money Ball
For Natarajan, cricket was a way of life rather than entertainment. While his father earned Rs 350 a day from a textile mill, Natarajan was paid Rs 500 for playing a tennis ball cricket tournament. Hence, Natarajan ran around to play cricket tournaments in his home and neighboring villages. It was during that race that Natarajan met A. Jayaprakash who runs a sports academy in Chinnapampatti. That was the beginning of Natarajan’s journey from Chinnapampatti to the Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia.
∙ Natarajan Jayaprakash
If you search for T.Natarajan in social media, you will be asked if you mean Natarajan Jayaprakash. Both are one. Natarajan met Jayaprakash in 2011. It is Jayaprakash who diverts Natarajan, who was playing well in tennis ball, to cricket ball. Natarajan grew up under the tutelage of Jayaprakash. Natarajan decided to add Jayaprakash’s name to his own as a token of gratitude to his mentor.
The house where Natarajan was born and brought up.
Natarajan, who first started playing Salem District League matches, soon reached the Chennai A Division Cricket League. Natarajan was soon invited to Jolly Rovers, one of the most famous cricket clubs in Chennai. Natarajan’s journey to professional cricket begins there.
∙ Yorker Specialist
Having grown up playing tennis balls, Natarajan had a special ability to bowl measured yorkers. This is what made Natarajan famous in cricket. Natarajan quickly made a name for himself as a yorker expert in Tamil Nadu’s domestic cricket. In 2015, he became the highest wicket taker in the Chennai A Division Cricket League. In the same year, he also made his Ranji Trophy cricket debut for Tamil Nadu. Natarajan, who made his IPL debut with the Punjab Kings team in 2017, was acquired by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 40 lakh the following year.
T. Natarajan (file photo)
Natarajan, who started playing cricket for a daily wage of Rs 500, was convinced that the salary was just the beginning. Natarajan did two things with his first IPL salary. First he built a new house near his one-room house. Second, he built cricket nets in the school ground where he grew up playing. Currently Natarajan’s salary in Sunrisers Hyderabad is Rs 4 Crores.
∙ Team to India
After building a house and cricket nets, Natarajan got used to dreaming big. A cricket ground with all facilities for children who are interested in cricket in his village. There they get the best training for free. Natarajan was included as a net bowler in the Indian team for the tour of Australia held at the end of 2020 when he was slowly walking towards that dream by adding all the money and other advertising income he got from playing IPL and Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). The reason for that was the good performance in the IPL.
Pavilion at Natarajan Grounds
Natarajan was happy to join the Indian team even though he did not get a chance in the 15-member team but became a netballer. Natarajan got a chance in Test, ODI and Twenty20 matches with injuries to the main bowlers in the starting XI. Natarajan also holds the rare honor of debuting in all 3 formats in one series. Hardik Pandya, the man of the series in the Twenty20 series, presented his trophy to Nataru and said – Nattu, you deserve it. You have done your best performance by a beginner here.
∙ In the grip of injury
After the Australian tour, Natarajan got injured and did not get a chance to wear the Indian jersey again. He had to stay away from cricket for a year due to injury. It was during this time that Natarajan and his team started the work for the cricket ground. First bought four and a half acres of land near the house. At first, the locals thought that the son was buying the land to start his own mill for his father, who worked in a cloth mill. It was only later that they came to know about the opening of a cricket ground there. Natarajan set aside his entire savings for it.
After two years, the Natarajan Cricket Academy was opened in Chinnapampeti. The opening day was attended by a huge number of stars including former Indian players like Dinesh Karthik, Varun Chakraborty, Vijay Shankar, prominent players of Tamil Nadu cricket and Tamil actor Yogi Babu. West Indies legend Brian Lara was invited for the inauguration due to his experience in the Sun Risers team. He agreed to come. Could not come due to sudden rush. But it has been assured that it will definitely come once.
Brian Lara in Chinnapampatti! Can there be any more luck for me and these natives’ – Natarajan’s words were mixed with hope and satisfaction as he stood on his own ground after the inauguration…
∙ Address Nadu
Whenever Natarajan met his teammates at the start of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) Twenty20, he heard a lot of jokes about Chinnapampatti. Many people could not even say Chinnapampatti. Natarajan also wanted to create an address for his country. That is why even though there was an opportunity to start a cricket ground and academy in Chennai and Salem, he chose Chinnapampatti.
English Summary : Sunday Special about Cricket Academy founded by Thankarasu Natarajan in Tamil nadu Chinnapampatti Village
2023-08-06 05:24:31
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