Thousands of people crowded on the roads of Sinappampatti village in Tamil Nadu’s Salem district on Thursday. In the centre of the road was a chariot teeming with people and drawn by decorated horses. On the side, firecrackers tied to an auto rickshaw went off, and drummers played loud beats, adding to the noise and chaos. Completely ignoring COVID-19 protocols, the crowds kept growing with every passing minute and the procession of thousands snaked through the roads along with the chariot. 

These were some of the visuals on the occasion of the town welcoming Indian cricketer T Natarajan back home. Twenty-nine-year-old Natarajan, who grew up in the town, left a mark on the pitch at Brisbane last week and along with his team, ensured a glorious victory to India at the Border- Gavaskar test series held in Australia this year. 

After making his international cricket debut and the historic test series win in Australia, Indian cricketer T Natarajan was given a grand welcome upon his arrival at the Chinnappampatti village in Salem district. pic.twitter.com/hAlZuwOGKP

— Shilpa Nair (@NairShilpa1308) January 21, 2021

Sitting in the chariot was Natarajan, who was being carried to his house. The cricketer has made Tamil Nadu proud by being the star player in the Brisbane test match, where India went with an inexperienced team and handed Australia a crushing defeat. 

Natarajan was initially not selected for the test series. However, he emerged as a force to be reckoned with when he stepped onto the pitch towards the end, as several others were injured. In his debut match, he went on to take 3 wickets. 

Back in Sinappampatti, the crowds were denied permission to set up a stage in order to felicitate the cricketer. 

Natarajan was also adorned with the Indian flag and garlanded while on the chariot.