Saurabh Netravalkar: No Regrets Leaving Indian Cricket
Pursuing a New Dream
India-born USA pacer Saurabh Netravalkar revealed that he does not hold any regrets over leaving Indian cricket and his IPL dream behind to pursue engineering in the USA. Mumbai-born Netravalkar originally played for India in the 2010 U-19 World Cup.
Heroic Performance in the T20 World Cup
Netravalkar came under the spotlight after his brilliant and match-winning 2/18 spell for the USA against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. The USA pacer took the crucial wickets of Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed, restricting Pakistan to 159 for 7. He extended his brilliance by bowling in the Super Over, preventing Pakistan from reaching the 18-run target.
Reflecting on His Journey
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Netravalkar reflected on his journey from being in the U-19 India team to playing for the USA. “I can take it to under-19, when I played in 2010 for the Indian team. Parallelly, I was also doing my engineering. My bachelor’s was from 2009 to 2013, so I was juggling between both. It is a good thing that I had a passion for both,” Netravalkar said.
Choosing a Practical Path
In 2013, he faced a critical decision. “I was offered a job as a software engineer in India. But I decided not to take it up and then give two years to cricket,” he explained. Despite training hard and making it to the Mumbai team, Netravalkar realized he was not progressing to the senior Indian team or securing an IPL contract. “It was definitely very emotional for me to leave cricket and come here, but then I thought that it was the more practical call,” he added.
Looking Ahead
The USA team, bolstered by their victories against Canada and Pakistan, is brimming with confidence as they move forward in the tournament. Netravalkar is gearing up for an emotional upcoming clash against India on June 12, hoping to continue his impressive form.(cricket betting app)