IPL 2025: Three Teams Which May Lock in Bidding War For 'Breakout Star' Saurabh Netravalkar at Auction

Saurabh Netravalkar became a popular figure in the cricketing community after his stellar Super Over against Pakistan, which helped USA pull off a historic T20 World Cup 2024 triumph at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas.

The Mumbai-born tall left-arm pacer pitched in with subtle bowling variations of line and length to defend 19 runs in the Super Over against the likes of Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan. Netravalkar who operates as a distinctive left-arm pacer is originally from Mumbai.

Having been part of the India U19 setup and played domestic cricket for Mumbai, he faced tough competition for opportunities in India. Seeking better prospects, the 32-year-old found a significant break when he was included in the United States squad for the Super50 Tournament in the West Indies.

Recently, the Washington Freedom seamer finished the Major League Cricket (MLC) 2024 tournament as the leading wicket-taker with 15 wickets in seven games at a bowling average of 13.46, including a four-wicket haul.

For sure, the IPL teams must have monitored his performances and it is highly likely that a few teams could spark a bidding war for him at the IPL 2025 auction.

Three Teams Which May Lock in Bidding War For Saurabh Netravalkar at IPL 2025 Mega Auction

1. Sunrisers Hyderabad: The 2016 IPL champions might have finished as the runners-up in the IPL 2024 edition but they had the second worst bowling line-up as they recorded a pathetic economy of 9.89.

Apart from T Natarajan and Pat Cummins, others failed to live up to their reputation. Bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar (9.35), Mayank Markande (11.77) and Jaydev Unadkat (10.23) returned with expensive economy rates.

As a result, SRH might look to target the in-form bowler, Saurabh Netravalkar who could weave the magic with the ball, especially in conditions that favor seam movement.

2. Delhi Capitals: The Delhi-based franchise who are still looking for their maiden IPL title could be interested in roping in USA's Saurabh Netravalkar in an attempt to add depth and variety to their pace attack.

For the record, DC had the worst economy rate of 9.95 among all ten teams in IPL 2024 season. Players like Anrich Nortje and Rasikh Salam registered the worst economy of 13.36 and 10.97. Meanwhile, a player like Saurabh could thrive on Indian pitches, considering that he could bowl with bounce and extract movement.

3. Royal Challengers Bengaluru: After missing out on a title challenge last season, the Bengaluru-based franchise will look to strengthen their bowling lineup such that they can make a serious bid for the title this time around.

Meanwhile, Netravalkar could be a good fit, given that he is a left-arm option and that he has the potential to exploit conditions that favor bounce and movement.

RCB had one of the worst economy rates in the IPL 2024 season as they recorded 9.74. Among the bowlers, Lockie Ferguson had a forgettable campaign as he recorded an economy of 10.62.