India-born Saurabh Netravalkar became a sensation for the United States (US) cricket team during their super over clash against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024. The Oracle techie’s exceptional performance in the match, where the US triumphed over Babar Azam’s Pakistan, has made him a popular figure on the internet. Netravalkar took two crucial wickets while conceding only 18 runs in his four overs, leading the US to victory in their first match of the tournament. Amidst the accolades, an old video of Netravalkar singing “Om Namah Shivaya” has resurfaced and gone viral.
The video, initially posted on his Instagram page in April, features Netravalkar playing the ukulele and singing the devotional song. An X user shared the video, celebrating his contribution to the USA’s victory over Pakistan, with the caption, “He is Saurabh Netravalkar, who led the USA to victory against Pakistan in a super over.”
In his original Instagram post, Netravalkar explains how he finds “positivity and bliss” in the song. The video shows him sitting casually in front of the camera, holding the ukulele, and singing with a beautiful voice, deeply immersed in the moment.
The viral video has received widespread attention on social media, with many praising Netravalkar’s diverse talents. One user commented, “He’s a part-time cricketer, an engineer at Oracle with an MS in Computer Science from Cornell University, and also an excellent ukulele player,” while another remarked, “Always stay loyal to your roots.”
Other reactions include, “What a beautiful end to this day, a great cricket match and now this,” and “Sung very well indeed.” The video has amassed over 200,000 views and more than 7,000 likes.
Born in Mumbai, Saurabh Netravalkar played for India U19 before moving to the US in 2015. Despite relocating, his passion for cricket persisted, leading him to play for the US national team. He also works as the Principal Member of the Technical Staff at Oracle, balancing his time between coding and cricket.
In his recent standout performance, the left-arm fast-medium pacer helped the USA advance by taking the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed in the first and 18th overs, respectively.
