As friends and family stream into their Mumbai home to congratulate the Netravalkars, Saurabh’s proud father Naresh – himself a cricketer in his youth – remembers how Saurabh showed great potential at the young age of nine when he was selected by an academy from among 300 kids.“Saurabh is enjoying playing in the World Cup. He had called after the India match, and we discussed how he got Virat Kohli’s wicket by aiming for the off stump,” says Naresh, one of whose proudest moments was when Saurabh was selected to play for India in the Under-19 World Cup in 2010.
Saurabh and his sister Nidhi with their parents
‘He’s vegan, and loves the food our mom makes at home’
Nidhi, who works in an advertising firm, says that before Saurabh moved to the US, weekends at home would be spent relishing good food. “My mother is a great cook, and while dada is a vegan and I am a non-vegetarian, we would gorge on the stuff mom cooked for us, especially sandwiches,” remembers Nidhi. Earlier, the Netravalkars used to stay in a 1BHK apartment in Mumbai. “There were six of us, including our grandparents. We always had guests, which is why we enjoy spending time with friends and family even today.”
Nidhi says that Saurabh teases her a lot, but as a big brother, he’s very caring and protective. “He ensures I am doing well and respects my choices in life. While dad and I have been supporting the Indian team, we also wanted dada to perform well – and both have happened!” she says, smiling.
(Filed on June 18, 2024)