This encounter marks the first time the USA will face India in any format of men’s international cricket, presenting a unique narrative of camaraderie and competition.
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The USA squad boasts a distinctive composition, with several players like Saurabh Netravalkar, Harmeet Singh, and captain Monank Patel having roots in Indian cricket, having participated in various age-group and senior-level domestic circuits before representing the USA on the international stage.
Left-arm fast bowler Saurabh Netravalkar, former India U19 player, shares a personal connection with India’s in-form batter Suryakumar Yadav, tracing their friendship back to their U15 days in Mumbai.
Netravalkar reminisced about Yadav’s exceptional talent and flair from a young age, saying, “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.”
Harmeet Singh, a left-arm spin all-rounder and part of the India U19 side that won the 2012 World Cup, looks up to India captain Rohit Sharma.
“It was really exciting to see someone from the suburbs of Mumbai going out there and conquering the world. In Bombay, it was all about the beyond Bandra schools and cricketers, but Rohit started that in the suburbs, and from there we all followed. Some other guys I have played under-19 India with are Sanju, Kuldeep, and Axar. It’ll be fun catching up and playing against them as well,” Harmeet added.
Fast-bowling all-rounder Corey Anderson, who previously represented New Zealand, expresses his anticipation of facing former Mumbai Indians teammate Jasprit Bumrah.
“I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for Bumrah. I think I was at Mumbai when he was first introduced to MI, and watching him develop from this raw natural talent to one of the best bowlers in the world has been amazing,” said the USA veteran.
(Inputs from ANI)