USA’s Remarkable Journey in ICC T20 World Cup 2024
The United States cricket team has been nothing less than a revelation in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. After winning the opening game of the tournament against Canada, USA shocked everyone by defeating the 2022 T20 World Cup finalists, Pakistan in their second group stage game. The hosts eventually managed to qualify for the Super 8 stages of the tournament and most recently played their first Super 8 game against South Africa. Despite losing the game, Aaron Jones and his team managed to put up a good fight against the Proteas.
Key Players Behind USA’s Success
Apart from Jones, another player who has been mighty important behind USA’s success in the ongoing tournament is fast bowler, Saurabh Netravalkar. Netravalkar spent his youth in India and even represented the men in blue in the Under 19 World Cup, sharing the dressing room with the likes of Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh. Later, he moved to the US to complete his studies, and along with being a software developer, he also represented the USA in cricket. Netravalkar’s brilliant performances in this T20 World Cup have earned him praises from legendary players and coaches.
Will Netravalkar Play in IPL 2025?
USA has played four games in the tournament so far, and Netravalkar’s performances have been influential in every one of those games. In the iconic win against Pakistan, Netravalkar’s efforts helped the US restrict Pakistan to 159/7 in 20 overs, picking up 2 wickets for just 18 runs in his spell of 4 overs. He also bowled the super over in that thrilling game, successfully restricting Pakistan from reaching USA’s set target of 19 runs.
He once again delivered with two wickets against India, although his team lost the game by 7 wickets. Former Zimbabwe player and current Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach, Andy Flower, has praised Netravalkar for his performances and has even tipped the pacer to be a part of the prestigious Indian Premier League (IPL) in the 2025 season.
Netravalkar’s Stats in T20 World Cup 2024
- Matches: 4
- Wickets: 6
- Average: 12.17
- Economy: 5.21
- Best Figures: 2/18
Flower’s High Praise for Netravalkar
Talking to ESPN Cricinfo, Flower seemed very excited about the possibility of Netravalkar playing in the IPL. He also mentioned his experience of having previously worked with Netravalkar in the ILT20 league. Flower had nothing but words of praise for the 32-year-old and might even ask the management to go after him if he is available for the IPL 2025 mega auction.
IPL 2025 Mega Auction and Start Dates
The dates for the IPL 2025 mega auction haven’t been made official yet, but it is highly likely that the auction will be conducted in December 2024 or February 2025. IPL 2025 is expected to start from March 23, 2025, and run until May 29, 2025. The dates haven’t been officially confirmed by the BCCI yet and might change in due course of time.(Dubai7 realmoneygame)