Serious business: Netravalkar has been combining two desires — even after relocating to USA to review at Cornell University.
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He has worn India’s blues, albeit in an Under-19 World Cup, with Ok.L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Harshal Patel and Jaydev Unadkat as his teammates. He has proudly adorned the Lion’s Crest — the famed Mumbai cricket brand — in all three codecs. He has performed with Yuvraj Singh, in opposition to Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid and has the likes of Rahul and Joe Root in his illustrious checklist of dismissals.
He can be a software program developer for an IT large, primarily based in California. Virtually each middle-class Indian during the last three many years at some stage desires of being both a cricketer or an IT skilled.
Saurabh Netravalkar has been combining two desires, even after relocating to USA to pursue lecturers on the prestigious Cornell University in 2015.
On Thursday night time, Netravalkar emerged the toast of the cricket world, starring within the co-host’s beautiful victory in opposition to former champion Pakistan to set the T20 World Cup alight.
If his figures of 4-0-18-2 had been instrumental in limiting Pakistan to 159 for seven up entrance, Netravalkar — the left-arm pacer — got here again to defend 18 runs within the Super Over, conceding 13 to finish a dream that he had cherished for a very long time.
We shall come to dream shortly however Netravalkar and his colleagues had been eyeing such efficiency for the final couple of years. “Do not consider us as also-rans. We are seriously targetting making the Super Eights first up and then we’ll take it from there,” Netravalkar had informed The Hindu final month, whereas taking a break from his developer’s function.
While a majority of Indian illustration in USA’s crew is dominated by a bunch {of professional} cricketers who’ve relocated to the USA to additional their cricket profession, Netravalkar — being from the marginally older era — is an exception.
In truth, when he boarded a flight from Mumbai – his hometown – for his grasp’s 9 years in the past, he had not even packed his cricketing package.
With taking part in worldwide cricket for India regularly turning into a distant dream, Netravalkar – an IT engineer – selected to maintain cricket behind and prioritise lecturers.
“I never thought I would be able to play competitive cricket again when I came here for masters but I started working and came to California, I was introduced to the weekend league culture and the cricket bug bit me harder. All those six- or eight-hour car drives at the start of my stint in the USA are worth it now that I am playing the World Cup. I wanted to play for India but nevertheless, I will be playing against India,” he says.
Source: www.thehindu.com
