The cricket world witnessed one of the biggest upsets in the history of World Cups (be it T20 or ODI) when the US stunned Pakistan in a Group A match on Thursday evening. It took a special Super Over performance from Mumbai-born USA's Saurabh Netravalkar to leave Babar Azam-led Pakistan in shock. Netravalkar was tasked with defending 18 runs in the one-over eliminator in Dallas after the scores were level in the 40-over game. Netravalkar defied all odds and steered the US to victory. He kept his cool and bowled brilliantly, giving away just 13 runs for a famous win.
The man who once donned the Indian jersey as a junior, Netrvalakar, shattered Pakistan's hopes of making a perfect start in the 2024 T20 World Cup, raising hopes in all those aspiring cricketers who aspire to make it on the world stage to play.
Who is Saurabh Netravalkar?
Born on October 16, 1991 in Mumbai, Netravalkar even played for the Indian U19 team at the 2010 World Cup. But the competition in India did not allow him to further hone his talent. The left-arm pacer is one of those bowlers who can produce pace and bounce off any surface, and that is what he did against Pakistan on Thursday.
The former India U19 cricketer came to the United States of America in 2015 and about nine years later, he created history in the sport he wanted to make a career in. Netravalkar also played a Ranji Trophy match for Mumbai and is a former teammate of senior India stars KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat and Sandeep Sharma.
He is Saurabh Netravalkar, who led the US to victory against Pakistan in a super over #PakvsUSA pic.twitter.com/vKq6YkopPE
— Meme Farmer (@craziestlazy) June 6, 2024
Netravalkar was not only a talented cricketer but also a brilliant engineer. He had to balance the sport and his profession as a Senior Software Engineer at Oracle. While coding for the organization remained his primary role, his passion remained cricket, and balancing both remained the most complex task. It was his determination that saw him handle both brilliantly, and during the 2024 T20 World Cup he played a crucial role in USA making history.
In 2010, Netravalkar wore the Indian jersey at the U19 World Cup, where a young Babar's Pakistan dashed their hopes. The loss was a bitter pill. Fourteen years later, Netravalkar, now a cornerstone of the US team, scripted a poetic turnaround at the 2024 T20 World Cup. With a sensational Super Over, he led the US to a stunning victory over Babar's Pakistan.
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