Saurabh Netravalkar proved to be the difference maker in USA’s shocking win over Pakistan in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. The 32-year-old defended a target of 19 after Pakistan finished level on score, and restricted them to 13 runs while taking one wicket.
What’s even more interesting is the bowler’s back story, as he is working as a full-time principal engineer at Oracle, one of the biggest firms in the world. He has been with the company for eight years, and made history with his performance in the team’s opening fixture at the World Cup.
Who is Saurabh Netravalkar? Find out all about the USA bowler here
Saurabh Netravalkar played for India at the 2010 U19 World Cup, at that time India lost against Pakistan where Babar Azam was part of it.
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 6, 2024
14 years later – Netravalkar has played a key role in defeating Babar Azam's Pakistan at the 2024 T20 World Cup. pic.twitter.com/mOcQRnOjpA
As per his LinkedIn, Netravalkar is based out of San Mateo, California, and graduated from Cornell University, with a degree in computer engineering from the University of Mumbai. He previously played the Ranji Trophy, and shared the field with KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, and Harshal Patel.
The techie/cricketer made the move to the USA in 2015, after representing India at the U19 level, featuring in the U19 World Cup for the Blues. He eventually made his way to the USA national team, earning a call-up after the country decided to host the T20 World Cup and earned automatic qualification.
Saurabh Netravalkar’s journey is truly inspiring, especially considering he balanced his tech career alongside his passion for cricket – ultimately achieving a huge milestone in the latter. Now, it remains to be seen whether the USA can build on their impressive start to the tournament and maintain the momentum.
