Computer technology giant Oracle lauded their employee and USA cricketer Saurabh Netravalkar for the co-host's thrilling win against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024 Group A clash at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Thursday, June 6.
Saurabh grabbed the spotlight with his bowling brilliance in the Super Over against Pakistan, where they had to defend 18 runs posted by the USA after batting first. The match ended in a draw after the co-hosts levelled Pakistan's score of 159, thanks to fifty by skipper Monank Patel and vital contributions from Andries Gous (35) and Aaron Jones (36*) in the run-chase.
While defending an 18-run total, USA skipper Monank Patel decided to bring Saurabh Natravalkar into the attack. Natravalkar held his nerves and defended 18 runs by conceding 13 runs in an over. He also picked the wicket of Iftikhar Ahmed.
Saurabh Netravalkar has garnered a lot of praise as he helped the USA pull off one of the big upsets in the T20 World Cup. Among them, his employer Oracle praised Netravalkar for his outstanding performance.
Taking to X handle (formerly Twitter), Oracle congratulated USA and Saurabh Netravalkar for the win against Pakistan while addressing the Indian-origin USA cricket as their 'very own engineering'.
"Congrats @USACricket on a historic result! Proud of the team and our very own engineering and cricket star @Saurabh_Netra #T20WorldCup" Oracle company wrote on X.
Netravalkar joined the computer technology giant as a Member of Technical Staff in 2016.
In 2018, the Indian-origin USA cricketer was promoted to the position of Senior member of Technical staff. Four years later, in 2018, Saurabh Netravalkar became the Principal member of the Technical Staff. He has been working with Oracle for eight years as per his LinkedIn profile.
Saurabh Netravalkar's career in USA cricket
After being active in Indian domestic cricket for four years, Saurabh Netravalkar decided to leave India and move to the USA for better career opportunities.
Netravalkar broke into the USA team for 2017–18 Regional Super50 in January 2018. A year, in 2019, the USA Cricket Board appointed the Mumbai-born cricketer as the captain of the team.
Netravalkar led the USA in the 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Three and T20I series against UAE.
In June 2022, Netravalkar became the first USA bowler to take a five-wicket in a T20I match, achieving the feat against Zimbabwe in the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Global Qualifier B.
In International cricket, Saurabh Netravalkar picked 102 wickets, including 3 fifers and a four-wicket haul, at an average of 21.85 in 77 matches. With the bat, he scored 173 runs at an average of 9.10.
