Netravalkar relishes reunion with Surya-Rohit after more than a decade

He tormented them as long as the match was on but once the game was done and dusted Indiaborn American medium pacer Saurabh Netravalkar had a happy reunion with his former Mumbai teammates Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar YadavThe software engineer has been nothing short of sensational in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 and was in his elements on Wednesday too dismissing both Rohit and Virat Kohli in the group stage match of the T20 World Cup here But India won by seven wickets in a chase of 111 riding on Suryakumars unbeaten half century to enter the Super Eight stageNetravalkar has been close to Suryakumar as the two played together for Mumbai He was seen having a long chat with the swashbuckler and India captain Rohit after the matchI met them after more than a decade It was special We were remembering old times because we played since childhood in U15 U17 It felt like we carried on from where we left off Jokes from those times casual conversations and dressing room banter Netravalkar who returned with brilliant figures of 218 on Wednesday night revealed in a media interaction after the gameI did talk to Rohit Sharma who was my senior in Mumbai Ive played with him there I havent played much with Virat but he acknowledged our efforts after the game Its good that they see potential in this team he saidThe 32yearold Oracle employee who also happens to be a competent Ukelele player and a decent singer represented India in the 2010 Under19 World Cup before moving to the US on a scholarship to pursue higher studies in the prestigious Cornell UniversityHis cricketing journey restarted once here and he is now a key player for the US team which is an amalgamation of talent primarily from India Pakistan and the West IndiesAlso ReadNassau Stadium home to tense T20 World Cup matches set for demolitionAt the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 Netravalkar is quite literally living a dreamFrom scripting an incredible Super Over win over Pakistan to dismissing Virat Kohli for a golden duck the late bloomer said he is still trying to process everythingIm still digesting what is happening right now The last two games have been very highprofile Im glad we have done well as a unit Always happy being myself irrespective of the situation said the softspoken player whose family is based in MumbaiIt was about being clear with our plans and executing our processes rather than thinking about who we are facing and what the result would be Im glad that first spell worked for me he added about his effort last nightThere was also assistance from the twopaced dropin pitch and Netravalkar said it all boiled down to hitting the right areasThe pitch plays a crucial role Bowlers didnt have to do much just hit the top of the stumps and let the pitch create the variation rather than us doing it Credit to the coaching staff for giving us this clarity he saidAsked how he effected Kohlis dismissal Netravalkar said Thats my stock ball I dont want to give too much away The first ball I tried to hit the top of offstump as simple as that I didnt try to do anything special or get a wicket It was a good ball and seamed nicelyHe loves cricket but at the same time he also enjoys his job and would never give up on itI love my job at Oracle and I enjoy entering the field and bowling every ball Im blessed that I get to do what I love the most Thats how it worksAsked about his journey he said its hard to describe it in a few sentencesIts been a journey of almost a decade with ups and downs I had to take a practical call when I wasnt making it big in India due to the strong competition there he recalledI got a good offer from one of the top universities so I thought it was practical to pursue my other love and came here Im glad that God has given me another chance to pursue cricket againWith agency inputs