Besides Jofra Archer from England and Mumbai uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Hardik Tamore, USA pacer Saurabh Netravalkar entered the list before the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. With three players’ additions, the list grew to 577 auction candidates. Incidentally, despite his ever-growing reputation in international cricket, Netravalkar went unsold in the auction process.
Speaking exclusively to Sports Tak, Netravalkar shared his thoughts on the intense competition. He expressed gratitude for being shortlisted and acknowledged the high caliber of players in the auction. “It’s an honor to make it into the final list,” he said. “While it would’ve been great to secure a spot, the competition was fierce, and many exceptional players didn’t make it either. I’ll use this as motivation to improve and come back stronger next year.”
Saurabh Netravalkar fails to make it to IPL 2025, yet praises star-studded line-ups
The USA pacer did not name any IPL franchise when asked about his favorite one. Instead, he went on to talk about the star-studded line-up present in all franchises. “Every team is filled with superstars and exceptional talent. I like watching great performances and learning from them to improve my own game,” he added.
Netravalkar’s rise to fame in the cricketing world has been nothing short of phenomenal. It was during the T20 World Cup that he finally gained international attention, where his heroics for the USA sent shockwaves in the cricketing world. First, defending 18 runs in a nail-biting Super Over against Pakistan and then sending back India’s Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the same certainly marked him as a player to watch.
Still performing in the United States Premier League for the New Jersey Titans, Netravalkar keeps churning out performances. Though missing out on an IPL contract was a setback, the pacer remains positive and on track with his journey.
The mega auction for IPL 2025 saw intense competition among players. It is not easy to get a place in the world’s most valued T20 league.
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