Cricket Enthusiast’s Dream: From India’s U-19 Team to Facing India in the T20 World Cup
Saurabh Netravalkar, a former India U-19 cricketer, is set to face his home country in a pivotal T20 World Cup match on Wednesday. This emotional moment comes nearly a decade after the talented left-arm fast bowler gave up his professional cricket aspirations in India to pursue a career in the United States as a software engineer.
In 2015, Netravalkar, who hails from Mumbai, made the difficult decision to leave behind his cricket dreams and move to the US to study computer science at Cornell University. However, his love for the sport never diminished, and he continued to play club cricket in San Francisco and Los Angeles during his weekends.
Netravalkar’s persistence and dedication to the game eventually paid off when he was selected to represent the US national cricket team in 2018, thanks to a rule change by the International Cricket Council (ICC) that allowed him to play for the associate member country.
“Many think it’s easier to play for obscure teams that are considered underdogs,” Netravalkar says. “But the struggle is even harder here. Playing for associate countries is difficult because they lack basic infrastructure.”
Despite the challenges, the US team has made significant progress, qualifying for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Netravalkar is now gearing up to face his former India U-19 teammates, including some who have gone on to become stars in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
“It is nice to reconnect with them, and I’m happy for what they have achieved – for India and in the IPL,” he says. “But anything can happen in T20, and we are positive. We will give our best in those three hours.”
Netravalkar’s story is a testament to the power of persistence, the American dream, and the enduring love for the sport of cricket, which has taken him on an extraordinary journey from the streets of Mumbai to the global stage of the T20 World Cup.
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