During a Major League Cricket (MLC) clash between the San Francisco Unicorns and Washington Freedom, while all attention was on New Zealand’s Finn Allen for his explosive innings, it was Sanjay Krishnamurthi, a 22-year-old of Indian descent, who stole the spotlight with a stunning cameo.
Stepping in after Jake Fraser-McGurk’s dismissal during the final over of the powerplay, Sanjay began steadily. But he soon unleashed his batting prowess by hammering four successive sixes off international spinner Rachin Ravindra in the eighth over — all aimed over the deep mid-wicket and long-on regions. He accumulated 36 runs off just 20 deliveries, forging an aggressive 88-run partnership in just 37 balls with Allen.
Allen smashed an unbeaten 151 off 51 balls, propelling San Francisco to a mammoth 269/5. Washington’s batting lineup crumbled under pressure, bundled out for 146 in 13.1 overs, leading to a 123-run win for San Francisco.
Born in Arizona, Sanjay moved to Karnataka with aspirations to play for India. He played for the Karnataka U16 team, but limitations due to his OCI status and India’s intense competition led him to pursue opportunities in the USA.
Balancing academics and cricket, Sanjay currently studies Computer Science at San Jose University while representing the USA national team. His breakthrough came with an MLC contract in 2023, and sharing space with global stars like Pat Cummins has boosted his self-belief.
Krishnamurthi’s journey reflects the rise of global cricket talent emerging through unconventional paths.
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