Chapter 50: Team No. 4 vs Team No. 7 - Part - 1 : The Captain and The Wicketkeeper

Rohan hung up the phone. He looked out the window at the towering floodlights of the stadium, standing dark and silent in the night. Tomorrow, he would walk onto that manicured green grass. Tomorrow, he would finally unleash his pace on the state’s best.

And he was going to do it entirely on his own.

16th July

8:00 AM - Three Hours Before the Match

While most of the bowlers were resting or doing light stretches, Rohan was inside the practice nets, fully padded up and holding a willow bat.

He was relentlessly facing the bowling machine, practicing his fundamental batting strokes. He stepped forward to execute a solid defense, then immediately shifted his weight to practice his cover drives, cut-shots, and aggressive pull-shots. He sweated profusely, his eyes entirely focused on the leather balls shooting toward him.

I spent almost all my System points upgrading my bowling attributes, Rohan thought, grimacing as an inswinging delivery beat the outside edge of his bat. I barely upgraded my batting stats at all. Without the System to help me read the trajectory, batting against state-level fast bowlers is going to be incredibly difficult.

He stepped out of the net, wiping his brow with a towel, letting out a heavy sigh. I just hope the top order does their job today. Honestly, I really hope my turn to bat doesn’t come at all.

11:00 AM - Match No. 2

Team No. 4 vs. Team No. 7

The atmosphere in the Varun Jaitley Stadium was electric. The pitch was a perfect, flat batting track, shining slightly under the hot Delhi sun.

Down by the pitch, the two captains met with the umpires for the coin toss. Aryan flicked the coin high into the air.

"Tails," the Team 4 captain called out.

The coin landed in the dust. Heads.

Aryan didn’t even hesitate. He shook the opposing captain’s hand and jogged back toward the pavilion where Team 7 was gathered.

"Listen up, everyone," Aryan announced, his voice carrying the calm, commanding weight of a true captain. "We won the toss. We are going to bat first. The pitch looks rock solid, and I want us to put up a massive total on the board to mentally crush them before they even pad up."

He turned to his opening partner. "Get your helmet on. Let’s go."

Aryan and the second opening batsman walked out to the middle, greeted by polite applause from the other players in the stands. Aryan took his guard, deciding to take the strike for the first over. He looked down the pitch. Team 4 had handed the brand-new, shining red ball to their premier fast bowler.

The umpire checked with both captains, adjusted his hat, and shouted, "Play!"

The fast bowler sprinted in, generating serious pace, and hurled the first ball right at the off-stump.

Aryan’s father’s training instantly took over. His footwork was flawless. He leaned into the pitch of the ball and executed a perfect, textbook defense. The ball dropped dead on the pitch. No run.

The bowler ran in for the second delivery, pitching it slightly short and wide.

"Cricket is not a one-man show... A king needs powerful knights... Prove yourself, Aryan." His father’s words echoed clearly in his mind.

Aryan’s eyes narrowed. He rocked onto his back foot and unleashed a blistering cut-shot. The ball pierced the gap through point, racing across the manicured outfield like a bullet for a brilliant boundary. Four runs.

He followed it up with a smart rotation of the strike on the third ball, gently tapping it for two runs. The fourth ball was a sharp yorker, which Aryan respectfully dug out for a dot ball.

But on the fifth delivery, the bowler made a fatal error, pitching the ball right into Aryan’s hitting arc. Aryan stepped out of his crease and lofted it effortlessly over the long-off boundary for a massive, towering six. He defended the final ball of the over to retain the strike.

End of 1st Over: Team 7 is 12/0.

As the second over began, the strike rotated to the non-striker. Team 4’s second pace bowler ran in and bowled a dangerous, swinging delivery.

Instead of reading the pitch, the 2nd batsman wildly swung his bat, trying to mimic Aryan’s aggressive boundary. He completely missed, the ball whizzing dangerously close to the off-stump.

Aryan immediately walked down the pitch, holding his hand up. "Hey, calm down," Aryan advised firmly. "You don’t need to hit every ball out of the park. The ball is new and it’s swinging. Just play carefully, rotate the strike, and let’s build an innings."

The 2nd batsman just scoffed, ignoring his captain’s warning. He adjusted his gloves, completely dismissing Aryan’s tactical advice.

The bowler ran in for the second ball, bowling a deceptive slower delivery.

Once again, refusing to listen, the batsman swung his bat with all his might. It was a massive mis-hit. The ball caught the top edge of the bat and skyrocketed high into the air. The mid-off fielder comfortably settled under it and caught the ball.

Wicket!

Score: 12/1 (1.2 Overs).

Aryan sighed in frustration, shaking his head as the stubborn batsman walked back to the pavilion.

The No. 3 batsman walked out to the crease. Unlike the opener, he listened carefully to Aryan. For the next nineteen overs, the two of them played sensible, high-quality cricket. Aryan punished the bad balls while the No. 3 batsman anchored the other end, steadily rotating the strike.

They built a solid 80-run partnership, completely neutralizing Team 4’s new-ball attack.

Score after 20 Overs: 92/1.

But disaster struck in the 21st over. Aryan tapped the ball toward the covers and called for a quick single. The No. 3 batsman hesitated for just a fraction of a second, which was enough for the Strikers’ fielder to hit the stumps directly.

Run Out!

Aryan watched the umpire raise his finger, feeling a spike of tension. They had lost a set batsman, and the middle-order was about to be exposed.

Walking out from the pavilion, carrying his father’s faded kit bag and heavily padded up, was Kabir.

Kabir walked up to the crease, tapped his bat against his boots, and looked at Aryan. There was no joking, no gum-chewing, and no lazy posture. Kabir’s eyes were locked onto the pitch with terrifying intensity.

"Don’t worry, Captain," Kabir said, his voice completely serious. "Let’s show them what we can do."

What followed over the next twenty-nine overs was an absolute massacre.

Aryan and Kabir didn’t just rebuild the innings; they completely dismantled Team 4’s entire bowling lineup. The moment the spinners came on, Kabir used his incredible footwork to step out of the crease and hit them out of the stadium. If the fast bowlers pitched it short, Aryan violently pulled them to the boundary.

Their synergy was flawless. If one attacked, the other rotated. If one defended, the other found the gap. They turned the Varun Jaitley Stadium into their own personal practice ground, hitting boundaries to every single corner of the park.

The opposing bowlers lost their lines, their confidence, and eventually, their hope.

By the time the 50th over concluded, the scoreboard looked like a typographical error. Team 7 had completely decimated the opposition.

End of First Innings: Team 7 Score 326/2.

The crowd, the coaches, and even the opposing players were in absolute awe of the scorecard flashing on the digital screen.

Kabir: 121 Not Out.

Aryan: 186 Not Out.

Aryan walked off the pitch, removing his helmet and raising his bat to the roaring applause of his teammates. Behind him, Kabir raised his own bat, a quiet, proud smile on his face as he looked toward the stands, knowing he had finally kept the promise he made to his father.

They had just delivered a monstrous performance. Now, it was time to defend it.