Harmeet Singh and Rohit Sharma. (Source – Getty Images)
USA all-rounder Harmeet Singh has opened up about how he looks up to Rohit Sharma and how excited he is to catch up with his former India Under-19 teammates. He revealed that Rohit and he went to the same school as the latter just graduated when he entered. Notably, Rohit was also a part of Harmeet’s debut game at the first-class level while they played together at the Under-19 level as well.
“Growing up, I used to look up to Rohit Sharma. Rohit comes from my school, and he had just graduated when I entered. I made my first class debut with him, and he played in the under-19 World Cup a few tournaments before me. 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,” he told Star Sports.
USA bowler Saurabh Netravalkar, fresh from a match-winning show against Pakistan in USA’s win for the ages, talked about his equation with India cricketer Suryakumar Yadav, stating that the two are “close friends”. Netravalkar added that the two spent time with each other at age-level cricket when they both used to play for Mumbai.
“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. So, he had that flair about him, and we knew he would go on to do something special. 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, and we’ll see how it goes,” said Netravalkar.
Another player in the USA team with Indian roots, skipper Monank Patel talked about his connection with India all-rounder Axar Patel, with whom he played at under-15 and under-19 level.
“I have played with Axar and Bumrah in under-19 and under-15 matches. Axar comes from the same town where I am from. It’s a small town, and he has obviously motivated and encouraged a lot of youngsters from there. I’m happy to see them growing and playing good cricket.”
I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for Bumrah: Corey Anderson
Corey Anderson also shared his thoughts on how excited he is to face his former Mumbai Indians teammate Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah has been at his devastating best, giving consecutive match-winning performances and bagging two Player of the Match awards in as many games. As for Anderson, the all-rounder has not got a chance to contribute much in either one of USA’s wins so far.
“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. It’s cool to see that progress throughout because you see the things they talk about early in their careers, and how they gain experience. To watch him reach his potential is awesome. We’re obviously going to come up against him, and he can do some serious damage. I think it’s going to be extremely exciting to face him as well.”