“The child in me had hopes for sure” - Indian-born USA cricketer regrets missing out in IPL 2025 Auction
USA national cricket team bowler Saurabh Netravalkar has opened up about going unsold during the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction. The left-arm pacer had enlisted himself in the auction pool for a base price of INR 30 Lakh, but failed to attract any bids over the course of the two-day event in Jeddah.
Netravalkar rose to prominence with consistent outings in the 2023 Major League Cricket (MLC) season, which was bolstered by a historic campaign for the USA in the 2024 T20 World Cup. The pacer showcased his ability with both the new ball, and in the death overs. He impressed in the group-stage outing against India, dismissing both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in his four-over spell.
Given his skill set, he was billed as a bargain buy and a handy backup player for franchises in the IPL. However, with the plethora of talent on show during the mega auction, the Indian-born player could not bag a deal that would have been historic for a wide variety of reasons.
"Firstly, grateful for getting shortlisted in the final auction list. Yes, the child in me had hopes for sure! But, it was a high-quality player pool with so many top players also failing to make the cut, so I completely understand. Really looking forward to watch the season which I’m sure will be filled with the highest quality of cricket, and personally I’ll keep working harder and trying to get better and come back stronger hopefully next year," Netravalkar told the Times of India in an exclusive interview.
Netravalkar was recently seen playing for the USA in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2. He finished with figures of 4-47 in his last competitive appearance on November 2 against Nepal.
"I know Rohit bhai and Surya since my days in Mumbai, and it was nice to meet up with them" - USA's Saurabh Netravalkar
The left-arm bowler's cricketing career began in Mumbai, before he left for the USA to pursue higher education, and continue his journey unorthodoxly. He played alongside the likes of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav during the early phase of his youth career, and encountered them during the 2024 T20 World Cup group stage match in New York as well.
"I know Rohit bhai and Surya since my days in Mumbai, and it was nice to meet up with them. They also appreciated our efforts, and that means a lot as well. Similarly, we exchanged greetings with all other Indian players and support staff, and it was wonderful," Netravalkar said in the aforementioned interview.
Inspired by Netravalkar's super-over heroics, and testing spell against India, the USA had a memorable campaign. They progressed to the Super 8 stage of the tournament, eliminating Pakistan in the process, and made a huge statement.
"Again, very grateful for this entire season of cricket, where we got the opportunity to play against such top-quality teams at the World Cup. It made us believe that we can perform at this level if we give our best. So in that sense, the performances of myself and all my teammates really boost our self-belief in our game," Netravalkar concluded.
The former USA skipper has 56 ODI and 36 T20I appearances to his name so far.