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Saurabh Netravalkar (Source: ESPNcricinfo)
The USA created history on the 6th of June, 2024, as they defeated Pakistan in the 11th game of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024. The match went on to the super over, the USA scored 18 runs, which the men in green failed to chase, and hence, it turned out to be one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. In the super over, Pakistan fell short of five runs, giving the match to the USA. This was USA's second win in this tournament, and they are getting better at it, which is a great sign for cricket.
Now, the credit for this match goes to several players, including captain Monank Patel. However, the man who outshined everybody during the Super Over was USA's pacer, Saurabh Netravalkar. With an assignment of defending 18 runs in one over, Netravalkar headed towards the field and completed it gracefully. He held his calm and bowled some excellent deliveries, which worked in the team's favour.
Who is Saurabh Netravalkar?
Saurabh Netravalkar, born in Mumbai on October 16, 1991, played for India in the U-19 World Cup 2010 alongside KL Rahul. We were a part of the Ranji trophy as well. However, due to a lack of opportunities in cricket, he moved to the USA. The main reason behind his relocation was an excellent job at Oracle as a Senior Software Engineer. Moving away from the sport might not have been good for the left-arm pacer. He did only to discover years later that destiny had other plans for him.
The left-arm pacer player moved to the USA in 2015 when he joined his company but never left his passion for the game. He continued to play cricket and was a part of the trials for the USA. Finally, after nine years, he had a chance to represent his team on an international platform.
This win was historic and will be remembered for years now. The USA team is looking stronger than ever, and the players have high confidence levels. Hence, the Group A matches will be exciting to watch since the competition has increased for teams like India and Pakistan. Both teams must play their matches carefully to book a slot in the Super 8.