The USA versus Pakistan match held on June 6 in Dallas, had cricket fans the world over in a choke-hold. What is being described by many as a 'historic upset' in the contemporary cricket scenario, the United States beat Pakistan by 5 runs marking the team's second victory in the tournament's group stage. 32-year-old Saurabh Netravalkar stole the show as he led team USA to an unprecedented victory by bowling in the super over. But who is he?
Born in Mumbai on October 16, 1991, Saurabh, a left arm medium fast bowler, made his first big splash in the world of cricket by playing in India's under-19 team for the 2010 U19 World Cup. He proceeded to make his first class debut in the Ranji Trophy in 2013 followed by an A-list debut for Mumbai in 2014 in the Vijay Hazare trophy. For his stint in Indian cricket, Saurabh has played with the likes of KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat and Sandeep Sharma to name a few. In March 2023, Saurabh was picked by the Washington Freedom to play in the Major Cricket League.
Though it is cricket that has brought Netravalkar's name to the forefront, the cricketer is actually also a full-time software engineer. Having completed his initial education from Sardar Patel Institute of Technology, Saurabh eventually shifted base to the United States in 2015 to pursue a Master's Degree in Computer Science from Cornell University. Besides being the biggest star on the United States cricket team as of today, Saurabh also works full-time as a Senior Software Engineer at Oracle. If such exemplary time management was not already commendable, Saurabh is also honing his skills with the ukulele. Not just this, he also periodically shares his progress in Yoga, one among his long list of passions.
{{/usCountry}}Though it is cricket that has brought Netravalkar's name to the forefront, the cricketer is actually also a full-time software engineer. Having completed his initial education from Sardar Patel Institute of Technology, Saurabh eventually shifted base to the United States in 2015 to pursue a Master's Degree in Computer Science from Cornell University. Besides being the biggest star on the United States cricket team as of today, Saurabh also works full-time as a Senior Software Engineer at Oracle. If such exemplary time management was not already commendable, Saurabh is also honing his skills with the ukulele. Not just this, he also periodically shares his progress in Yoga, one among his long list of passions.
{{/usCountry}}For those yet to grasp the true impact of what Saurabh has managed in Thursday's historic USA versus Pakistan match, there is a dose of poetic justice involved. Back in 2010 when the cricketer had represented India at the U19 World Cup, the team had lost their match to Pakistan, with batsman and captain Babar Azam playing for the latter. 14 years later, Saurabh has finally tasted victory against the Babar Azam-led Pakistan, albeit from the United States team.