India-Born USA Pacer Stuns Kohli with Golden Duck in T20 World Cup Upset
In a stunning upset at the T20 World Cup, India-born USA pacer Saurabh Netravalkar dismissed star batter Virat Kohli for a golden duck, leaving India in early trouble in their chase of 111.
Netravalkar, a 32-year-old techie at Oracle, produced a beautiful full-length delivery that angled across Kohli, who chased it away from his body and edged it straight to wicket-keeper Andries Gous. The dismissal marked Kohli's first-ever golden duck in T20 World Cups and his only second ever in the shortest format.
Kohli's poor form continued in the tournament, with scores of 1, 4, and 0 in three outings. After dismissing Kohli, Netravalkar went on to dismiss India skipper Rohit Sharma in his second over, leaving India in a precarious position.
Netravalkar, who played for India in the 2010 U-19 World Cup, has been juggling academics and cricket with aplomb. An alumnus of Cornell University, he has shared the dressing room with the likes of KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal, and even played the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai.
Earlier, left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh claimed a career-best 4-9, including two wickets in the first over, as India restricted the USA to 110 for 8. A victory in this match would guarantee a place in the second round Super Eights for both teams.
Netravalkar's dismissal of Kohli was a major moment in the match, and it highlighted the growing strength of associate nations in cricket. The USA's stunning win over former champions Pakistan last week was another example of this trend, and it shows that the gap between the top teams and the rest is narrowing.
Tags: #T20WorldCup, #ViratKohli, #GoldenDuck, #SaurabhNetravalkar, #USACricket
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