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NEW DELHI: United States left-arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar became the toast of cricket fans with a sensational performance in the T20 World Cup 2024. Successfully defending 18 runs in the Super Over against Pakistan and claiming the prized wickets of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the cricketer-turned-engineer stunned the cricketing world and left fans in awe.
Riding on his T20 World Cup heroics, Netravalkar entered the IPL Auction, hoping to secure a coveted deal. However, despite high expectations, the 33-year-old went unsold.
When auctioneer Mallika Sagar announced Netravalkar’s name, no team showed interest in the left-arm pacer, leaving him without a contract.
Netravalkar admitted he had harboured hopes of a deal.
“Firstly, grateful for getting shortlisted in the final auction list. Yes, the child in me had hopes for sure! But, it was a high-quality player pool with so many top players also failing to make the cut, so I completely understand,” Netravalkar told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.
“Really looking forward to watch the season which I’m sure will be filled with the highest quality of cricket, and personally I’ll keep working harder and trying to get better and come back stronger hopefully next year,” he added.
PLAYING ALONGSIDE ROHIT AND SURYA
After a wicketless outing in the USA’s opening match against Canada during the T20 World Cup, Netravalkar delivered against Pakistan. He dismissed Mohammad Rizwan and the dangerous Iftikhar Ahmed, restricting Pakistan to 159, and then successfully defended 18 runs in a nail-biting Super Over to secure a memorable victory for the USA.
In the clash against India, Netravalkar claimed the wickets of biggies Virat and Rohit, fulfilling a dream moment.
Mumbai-born Netravalkar, who represented India U-19 side in the 2010 U-19 Cricket World Cup, later moved to the United States for higher education. Balancing a career in Computer Science, he continued playing cricket at an elite level.
“I know Rohit bhai and Surya since my days in Mumbai, and it was nice to meet up with them. They also appreciated our efforts, and that means a lot as well. Similarly, we exchanged greetings with all other Indian players and support staff, and it was wonderful,” Netravalkar said.
“Again, very grateful for this entire season of cricket, where we got the opportunity to play against such top-quality teams at the World Cup. It made us believe that we can perform at this level if we give our best. So in that sense, the performances of myself and all my teammates really boost our self-belief in our game,” he added.
INDIA WIN T20 WORLD CUP
India clinched a thrilling seven-run victory over South Africa in the final to lift the T20 World Cup title, ending a 11-year ICC tropy drought. Rohit’s team also replicated the T20 World Cup-winning glory achieved under MS Dhoni’s leadership in the inaugural edition in 2007.
“I knew that the game is not over till the last ball is bowled and that the team will keep fighting, and that’s what they did. Hats off to everyone, including the support staff! They were a very well-rounded team with players for every situation, and they deserved it,” Netravalkar concluded.
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