(ICC Credit)

A tweet from Suryakumar Yadav, recalling his association with left-arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar from their Mumbai U-15s, U-17s, and U-19s days, gained traction on social media following India’s win over the United States of America (USA) in the 2024 T20 World Cup. India secured a seven-wicket triumph against USA at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on Wednesday, June 12, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma. This victory propelled India as the first team from Group A to advance to the Super 8 stage of the prestigious T20 tournament.

During the match, Saurabh’s dropped catch of Suryakumar Yadav in the 13th over proved to be costly for the USA cricket team. At that juncture, Suryakumar was batting on 22 runs, with India needing 53 more runs for victory. Subsequently, Suryakumar’s decade-old tweet resurfaced and gained widespread attention on X (formerly Twitter) after the match.

Suryakumar Yadav played a pivotal role in India’s pursuit of a 111-run target, crafting an unbeaten half-century off 49 deliveries. His innings comprised two boundaries and two towering sixes. Crucially, Yadav forged an unbroken 72-run partnership with Shivam Dube, who contributed 31 runs from 35 balls, steering India towards victory.

Meanwhile, Saurabh Netravalkar made early inroads for the USA, dismissing Virat Kohli for a golden duck in the opening over. He struck again in his second over, claiming the wicket of Rohit Sharma, leaving India reeling at 10/2. Despite finishing with figures of 2 wickets for 18 runs from his allotted overs, Netravalkar’s efforts couldn’t propel his team to triumph.

Saurabh Netravalkar says Suryakumar Yadav Has Been A Close Friend 

Ahead of the match, Saurabh Netravalkar fondly referred to Suryakumar Yadav as a dear friend, reflecting on their shared journey from playing cricket together for Mumbai since their under-15 days. Netravalkar expressed genuine delight at Suryakumar’s accomplishments with the Indian team.

“Suryakumar has been a close friend, actually. I’ve seen him since our under-15 days; we kind of grew up playing for Mumbai together. He was always special, scoring double hundreds and stuff in under-15 and under-17 matches,” Netravalkar said on Star Sports.

“He got a chance to play for India later than I expected, but I’m really happy for him. I’m excited to meet him, and it’s an opportunity to play not just against him but also against a lot of the guys we played with. I don’t know how to get Surya out, but I think I’ll just try to do my role, what the team needs me to do,” Netravalkar added.

After securing victories against Canada and Pakistan, the United States of America encountered their initial defeat in the T20 World Cup 2024. Their upcoming group-stage fixture in Florida on Friday, June 14, against Ireland will be crucial. A win or a washout in this match will propel the USA team into the Super 8s stage.