As the highly anticipated India vs USA cricket match kicked off, fans around the world were glued to their screens, passionately supporting their favourite teams. Among them was the family of Saurabh Netravalkar, the Indian-origin cricketer playing for USA. However, according to his sister, Netravalkar's family in Mumbai was cheering for India.
In an interview with News 18's CricketNext, Netravalkar's sister, Nidhi, shared their family's sentiments. "We are supporting India. We want India to win the World Cup, and we are confident they have a good chance. That's also what we had hoped for in the ODI World Cup. We were born and brought up here, and we love Indian cricket. We definitely want India to win not just this match but the World Cup, but we also want him to perform well. So, yeah. It is a dilemma for us," Nidhi explained.
Reflecting on Netravalkar's cricket journey, Nidhi recounted the dedication of their parents, who played a crucial role in nurturing his talent. "Our parents thought he'd understand that he wouldn't be selected. But he made it. And then it became like a thing for my parents only to take him from Malad to Churchgate every day for coaching. They did it with a lot of passion for six to seven years. He used to go to Churchgate after school, travel for one hour on the train and do all his homework and everything on the train. So, from the beginning, he has managed both his studies and his cricket, and that's how his journey began," she said.
Saurabh Netravalkar's impressive journey saw him represent India in the Under-19 World Cup in 2010 while also graduating with a degree in computer science from Mumbai's Sardar Patel Institute of Technology. Despite his best efforts in domestic cricket, he eventually transitioned to a career in software programming in the United States.
Before committing to his engineering career, Netravalkar gave his all to cricket, making his domestic debut and striving to excel. However, after two years, he decided to pursue opportunities in the tech industry, leading to his move to the USA.
Meanwhile, in a decisive match at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Wednesday, India clinched a commanding seven-wicket win over the United States. This victory not only reinforced India's dominance in Group A but also guaranteed their place in the Super Eight stage of the tournament.
However, anxiety among desi fans was riding high when Netravalkar dismissed India's proficient batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the first two overs of the clash itself.
With this win, India now stands at the top of Group A with 6 points and one game remaining.
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