T20 World Cup 2024: Fans praise US cricketer Saurabh Netravalkar after stunning victory against Pakistan

Cricket fans worldwide have been pouring in love and congratulations, sharing clips of Netravalkar’s musical talents and his dual life as a principal engineer.

Netravalkar is a left-arm medium-fast bowler who played for the India under-19 team. He marked his first-class debut for Mumbai during the 2013–14 Ranji Trophy on December 22, 2013.

At the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, the United States of America delivered a stunning upset by clinching victory against Pakistan in a gripping A league match held in Dallas, Texas. Spearheading this historic triumph was Saurabh Netravalkar, former under-19 player for India who migrated to the United States. The match escalated into a nail-biting Super Over after both teams ended with tied scores, and the US emerged victorious by piling up 18 runs in their six balls.

Netravalkar, showcasing his prowess as a left-arm pacer, skillfully defended these runs, sparking jubilant celebrations within the USA camp. This remarkable win marked the second consecutive victory for the United States in the tournament, following their earlier triumph over Canada. The reverberations of Netravalkar’s heroics extended far beyond the cricket pitch, as social media platforms became inundated with accolades and admiration for the versatile techie.

In one post, a user said, “Congratulations champion boy.” Another user commented, “Awwwwww that’s so amazing and cute!” A third user wrote, “Oracle got free publicity.”

Saurabh Netravalkar pic.twitter.com/ezckbMz8vl

— RVCJ Media (@RVCJ_FB) June 7, 2024

A post by @jon_selvaraj also went viral with the caption, “If Saurabh Netravalkar, who had figures of 2-18 and bowled USA to victory in the super over vs Pakistan, wasn’t disgustingly talented enough — ( He is an engineer at Oracle and an MS in CS from Cornell University.) he’s also a damn fine ukelele player. (video from his insta).”

If Saurabh Netravalkar, who had figures of 2-18 and bowled USA to victory in the super over vs Pakistan, wasn’t disgustingly talented enough — ( He is an engineer at Oracle and an MS in CS from Cornell University.) he’s also a damn fine ukelele player. (video from his insta) pic.twitter.com/vEErMccyXX

— jonathan selvaraj (@jon_selvaraj) June 6, 2024

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Responding to this, a cricket enthusiast wrote, “Sometimes its pretty clear that God has his favorites.” A second user responded with, “ow we have our own Pat Cummins!.” And a third said, “Real all rounder ! Winning at life !”

🚨 Saurabh Netravalkar, who represented the India under-19 team, went on to become an engineer at Oracle, did an MS from Cornell University, and stayed in the US. Now he wins a historic World Cup match for USA against Pakistan.

Beautiful story! pic.twitter.com/DQC33ZExwT

— Indian Tech & Infra (@IndianTechGuide) June 7, 2024

On X, @IndianTechGuide shared a post saying, “Saurabh Netravalkar, who represented the India under-19 team, went on to become an engineer at Oracle, did an MS from Cornell University, and stayed in the US. Now he wins a historic World Cup match for USA against Pakistan.”

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To this, one X user responded with, “Indians with Green cards just thrashed Pakistan, now it’s over to Indians with Aadhar cards on 9th June.” Another user said, “He bowled extremely well yesterday. Bowled 4 overs conceding 18 runs & picking up 2 important wickets.” One user wrote, “Part time cricketers playing cricket for recreational purposes and casually beat a title contender.”

Fans from around the globe flooded social media with praises, circulating old videos showcasing Netravalkar’s musical talents with the ukulele and highlighting his professional accomplishments as a principal engineer at Oracle.