T Natarajan is racing against time to be ready for India’s five-match T20 series against England, starting Friday (March 12) in Ahmedabad.

According to a PTI report, the left-arm pacer is yet to join the squad due to an apparent “shoulder niggle”.

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The report also claims that the niggle has put Natarajan’s participation under clouds for at least the early part of the T20I series.

The medical staff at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) is reportedly trying to get him fit for the later part of the series.

Meanwhile, leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy has once again failed to clear the fitness test at the NCA in Bangalore, which may rule him out of the T20I series.

“Varun Chakravarthy was selected because he recovered from his shoulder injury that ruled him out of the Australia series. He did his rehab at the NCA and started throwing normally. However, he has failed to clear the YoYo test mark stipulated for a 2km run at least twice,” a senior BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Chakravarthy’s fitness results might open the door for Mumbai Indians (MI) and Rajasthan leg-spinner Rahul Chahar in India’s T20I squad.

Chahar has been in the team’s bio-bubble since the Test series versus England as one of the standby players and he is likely to get the selectors’ nod.

(With PTI inputs)