New Delhi, Does IPL auction come to your mind? you ask, and on the other end of the phone, Saurabh Netravalkar laughs before saying an emphatic “no” in a loud voice.
Netrawalkar played a key role in newcomers USA's stunning win over former champions Pakistan in the T20 World Cup on Thursday.
"It's just one game and we performed well. The focus needs to be on the next game and frankly, all of us on the United States cricket team are trying to live up to our accomplishments.
The former India Under-19 left-arm fast bowler, who made the difference, said, "It is not yet understood and the things you are talking about, if it happens naturally, then This will happen.We are still trying to digest what happened during the spectacular Super Over against Pakistan, he said in an exclusive interview on Friday.
An alumnus of the prestigious Cornell University and a senior technical specialist (coder) at Oracle, Netravalkar juggled academics and cricket with aplomb.
“I never felt pressured. When you love something, it's never a chore.So when I am on the field, I like to bowl and try to think better than the batsman. When I code, I love doing it and so it never feels like work,” the left-arm fast bowler, who has suddenly become the talk of the town, couldn't have put it more clearly.
"Actually, we just flew from Dallas to New York. It's been overwhelming, honestly. I wish I could thank everyone in person for their lovely messages.I feel blessed,” one can feel the gratitude in his voice.
So what was the strategy for the Super Over and when did he know he would be bowling?
"It was not pre-planned and it was only after the 20-over rule that the captain (Monank Patel) and coach (Stuart Law) told me about it. I am grateful to them for showing confidence in me."
After this he gave information about American strategy."The plan was simple that I would try to bowl wide yorkers to right-handed batsmen and try to keep it outside his boundary because the boundary on that side was bigger. On the first ball the batsman shifted and did not get the wide and the second ball, He stayed rooted and connected, and then, I got some wides because I was trying for wide lines.
"But I must say that 18 runs helped and the extra runs that Harmeet (Singh) and Aaron (Jones) scored helped. Basically, if you are defending around 20, you only need three good overs. The balls are needed, and the job gets done. It's one of the best matches I've played."
However, Netravalkar would also matter-of-factly say that although things are looking good for people wanting to take up cricket as a profession in the US, for him, his day job at Oracle is still his primary "bread and butter". Is the source.“The best part is that I have very supportive bosses at Oracle and they allow me to work remotely when I'm on tour, playing for the United States.
"So on match days, I am exempted from work, but then there are scheduled project meetings which require my attendance and then I decide my practice schedule accordingly. I would also like to thank the US Cricket Board Because if my meetings are scheduled they are also flexible."
He has an interesting story.
“I can tell you that when I play local matches or club games in the United States, I often log in for meetings on my lunch break and people are very helpful.
He said, “At Oracle, by now they all know that I play cricket and everyone is happy to support.I work on the Oracle Text team and I'm primarily a coder, working on SQL and C (programming languages)."
What are the prospects for a full-time cricket career in the United States?
“Well, if you have Major League contracts, they are good and you can have a full-time cricket career.
"Minor league cricket is also seeing a boom, but the other way is some weekend 'pop-up' tournaments, played basically Friday to Sunday in Houston, Florida, where you can make really good money "
Netrawalkar will face the Indian team on June 12 and he is very emotional about it.
“I know all of them and Surya (Yadav) and I have played together for Mumbai Under 15, Under 17, Under 19.It's great to see what he has achieved and it will be great to catch up with him. Playing against India will be really emotional.”
Netrawalkar played a key role in newcomers USA's stunning win over former champions Pakistan in the T20 World Cup on Thursday.
"It's just one game and we performed well. The focus needs to be on the next game and frankly, all of us on the United States cricket team are trying to live up to our accomplishments.
The former India Under-19 left-arm fast bowler, who made the difference, said, "It is not yet understood and the things you are talking about, if it happens naturally, then This will happen.We are still trying to digest what happened during the spectacular Super Over against Pakistan, he said in an exclusive interview on Friday.
An alumnus of the prestigious Cornell University and a senior technical specialist (coder) at Oracle, Netravalkar juggled academics and cricket with aplomb.
“I never felt pressured. When you love something, it's never a chore.So when I am on the field, I like to bowl and try to think better than the batsman. When I code, I love doing it and so it never feels like work,” the left-arm fast bowler, who has suddenly become the talk of the town, couldn't have put it more clearly.
"Actually, we just flew from Dallas to New York. It's been overwhelming, honestly. I wish I could thank everyone in person for their lovely messages.I feel blessed,” one can feel the gratitude in his voice.
So what was the strategy for the Super Over and when did he know he would be bowling?
"It was not pre-planned and it was only after the 20-over rule that the captain (Monank Patel) and coach (Stuart Law) told me about it. I am grateful to them for showing confidence in me."
After this he gave information about American strategy."The plan was simple that I would try to bowl wide yorkers to right-handed batsmen and try to keep it outside his boundary because the boundary on that side was bigger. On the first ball the batsman shifted and did not get the wide and the second ball, He stayed rooted and connected, and then, I got some wides because I was trying for wide lines.
"But I must say that 18 runs helped and the extra runs that Harmeet (Singh) and Aaron (Jones) scored helped. Basically, if you are defending around 20, you only need three good overs. The balls are needed, and the job gets done. It's one of the best matches I've played."
However, Netravalkar would also matter-of-factly say that although things are looking good for people wanting to take up cricket as a profession in the US, for him, his day job at Oracle is still his primary "bread and butter". Is the source.“The best part is that I have very supportive bosses at Oracle and they allow me to work remotely when I'm on tour, playing for the United States.
"So on match days, I am exempted from work, but then there are scheduled project meetings which require my attendance and then I decide my practice schedule accordingly. I would also like to thank the US Cricket Board Because if my meetings are scheduled they are also flexible."
He has an interesting story.
“I can tell you that when I play local matches or club games in the United States, I often log in for meetings on my lunch break and people are very helpful.
He said, “At Oracle, by now they all know that I play cricket and everyone is happy to support.I work on the Oracle Text team and I'm primarily a coder, working on SQL and C (programming languages)."
What are the prospects for a full-time cricket career in the United States?
“Well, if you have Major League contracts, they are good and you can have a full-time cricket career.
"Minor league cricket is also seeing a boom, but the other way is some weekend 'pop-up' tournaments, played basically Friday to Sunday in Houston, Florida, where you can make really good money "
Netrawalkar will face the Indian team on June 12 and he is very emotional about it.
“I know all of them and Surya (Yadav) and I have played together for Mumbai Under 15, Under 17, Under 19.It's great to see what he has achieved and it will be great to catch up with him. Playing against India will be really emotional.”
