God of Cricket!-Chapter 34: Making Waves
Chapter 34: Making Waves
The Mumbai U19 team was scheduled to meet the Bengal U19 team some 4 days after the quarter-final thriller against Karnataka.
The match with Karnataka U19 had proved to be a tough nut to crack as neither was willing to lose, going down to the last over. Ultimately, Mumbai U19 won by 4 wickets.
Aryan, after the match, celebrated with his team and was ecstatic as he was on his way to completing the serial challenge issued by the System.
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Hotel Room, Bangalore (Neutral Venue)
Aryan stared at the holographic page hovering in front of him. He had accumulated a hoard of stat points as he was close to completing the serial challenge issued by the System.
[QUEST STATUS]
1. Host should score 300 runs and take 10 wickets in the remaining Zonal matches.
Status: Runs [310/300] | Wickets [10/10]
Reward: +5 Stat Points, +10,000 LP
State: Completed
2. Mumbai U19 should top West Zone Group.
Status: Completed
Reward: +10 Stat Points, +7,000 LP
3. Win in the Quarter-Finals of the ’Vinoo Mankad Trophy’.
Status: Completed
Reward: +15 Stat Points
4. Win in the Semi-Finals of the ’Vinoo Mankad Trophy’.
Status: Not yet
Reward: +20 Stat Points, +20,000 LP
5. Win the Final of the ’Vinoo Mankad Trophy’.
Status: Not yet
Reward: +25 Stat Points, 1 Free Trait, 40,000 LP
Bonus: Senior Team Call-up (Ranjit Trophy Team)
Aryan saw that the completed quests had given him 30 Stat Points and 17,000 LP.
He was overjoyed as the recent changes to the System (the patch reducing daily rewards) had made it a bit hard for him to accumulate points.
Aryan looked at the quests for a while before opening his Player Information.
[PLAYER INFO]
NAME: ARYAN SHARMA
AGE: 14
HEIGHT: 1.81m (5’11")
PROFESSION: CRICKETER
STATUS: YOUTH PROSPECT
TEAM: Mumbai U19
SYSTEM EVALUATION: Youth Prospect
PLAYER RATING: 68/100
POSITION: Fast-Bowling All-Rounder
POTENTIAL: 89
LEGEND POINTS: 30,500/67,000 to LV 5
STAT POINTS: 34
[STATS]
Speed: 70
Footwork: 65
Spatial Awareness: 71
Technique: 65
Batting: 66
Bowling: 69
Physical Strength: 68
Weak Zone Proficiency: 4 stars
Shot Creativity: 4 stars
[SKILLS POSSESSED]
Cover Drive: 85% Completion
Helicopter Shot: 50% Completion
Switch Hit: 70% Completion
Reverse Paddle: 50% Completion
[TRAITS]
Improviser: Equipped
Gap Piercer: Equipped
Blitz: Equipped
Aryan had been wanting to break through the 70 OVR (Overall Rating) barrier for a while but wanted to wait until he accumulated a lot of stat points.
Curious about how the OVR of the senior team were, Aryan asked Max.
"Max, what’s the average rating of a Ranji Trophy player?"
[From my data, the highest OVR on the Mumbai Senior team is 82 (Wasim Jaffer/Zaheer Khan equivalent), while the lowest is 68.]
Max said.
Aryan was a bit surprised that, with his OVR right now, he could probably be a substitute or a bench player for the Senior team.
Aryan decided to hold off on the major upgrade as he wanted to do it after the final to maximize the impact.
Aryan went and took a shower before he went to bed as there was going to be training tomorrow at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium nets.
M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
8:30 AM
Aryan stood at the top of his run-up, looking at the single stump placed in the nets. He had always been the first to arrive for training, enjoying the cool Bangalore morning.
He looked up before running in and delivering a perfect Yorker that crashed into the base of the stump.
Clack!
Aryan was interrupted by a sound of clapping. He looked up and saw a somewhat familiar face walking alongside Coach Kulkarni..
Aryan had some idea about the identity of the person who was with Coach Kulkarni but decided to hear it from him.
"Aryan, this is the captain of the U19s, Prithvi (Fictionalized senior U19 star)," he said while pointing to the stylish-looking batsman beside him.
Aryan smiled and brought his hand forward for a handshake. Prithvi didn’t waste any time and took Aryan’s hand.
He had heard of a player who had been making waves in the U19s side while he was recovering from his fracture, but looking at him now, he didn’t look like a kid. Well, except for his face.
"As Coach said, I’m Prithvi," he said once more.
Aryan also replied and told Prithvi his name.
Aryan wanted to use the snooping function on him so badly but decided to wait because staring too much at someone was not polite.
"Okay now that the pleasantries are out of the way, you can continue to train, Aryan. And ’oh’ you can also join him Prithvi if he doesn’t mind," Coach Kulkarni said.
Prithvi looked at Aryan seeking confirmation to which Aryan nodded.
Aryan was practicing specific deliveries, so Prithvi joined in to face them.
"I heard you bowl fast. Let’s see what you got," Prithvi said, padding up.
They played a mini-contest. Aryan bowled 6 balls. Prithvi had to score..
Ball 1: Aryan bowled an Outswinger. It swung away beautifully. Prithvi left it alone with class.
Ball 2: Aryan tried a Bouncer. Prithvi hooked it instinctively. "Six," Prithvi grinned.
Ball 3: Aryan bowled a Leg Cutter. It gripped the surface. Prithvi mistimed the drive.
Ball 4: Knuckleball. The ball dipped erratically. Prithvi was deceived completely. "Whoa, nice variation," Prithvi noted.
Prithvi had been the star all-rounder before Aryan, but now, he had to accept that the kid had variations beyond his years.
They also did some batting drills where they switched roles. Prithvi’s technique and timing were his strong points, but his power hitting was also spectacular.
Aryan, who had heard that Prithvi had once been called up to the Senior Mumbai nets to face bowlers like Zaheer Khan, asked him how it was there.
"Well, they are friendly if you have some ability but won’t delay to toss you aside if you waste their time.
Their gameplay too is also sharp and fast. I had to face a Reverse Swing masterclass from the seniors before even getting a bit used to their pace," Prithvi said.
They both took some water to do individual and targeted practices.
Aryan decided to use the snooping function on him. He looked at him and clicked the icon that looked like a magnifying glass.
Aryan smiled at what he saw.
[PLAYER INFO]
NAME: PRITHVI (Senior U19 Captain)
AGE: 18
HEIGHT: 1.75m (5’9")
PROFESSION: CRICKETER
STATUS: STATE YOUTH PLAYER (Returning from Injury)
TEAM: Mumbai U19
SYSTEM EVALUATION: Has the potential to be Special
PLAYER RATING: 70/100
POSITION: Opening Batsman / Part-time Spinner
POTENTIAL: 88
[STATS]
Speed: 68
Footwork: 70
Spatial Awareness: 73
Technique: 70
Batting: 71
Bowling: 65
Physical Strength: 73
Weak Zone Proficiency: 4 stars
Shot Creativity: 3 stars
[SKILLS POSSESSED]
Pull Shot: 80% Completion
Inside-Out Drive: 70% Completion
[TRAITS]
Timing Master: Owned
Aryan saw that Prithvi was up by 2 OVR. Aryan was excited to play with and against Prithvi. This was his first time seeing a player who had a higher OVR than him ever since he got the System.
The other players started to arrive one by one as it was getting close to 9 o’clock.
The players had a warm-up session followed by some stretches and some sprinting.
After that, they had some net sessions and fielding practice which was owned by Harsh, Aryan, and Prithvi.
The players who came and saw Prithvi were excited as him being back boosted the morale and overall ability of the team significantly.
After the training session, Coach Kulkarni decided to make them play a practice match with both Prithvi and Aryan on the same team.
That match was horrifying for the opponent team (Reserves) as both of the two players turned into a nightmare for them.
The two players who had just met played like they had been playing together since they were in the Mumbai maidans as kids.
Aryan and Prithvi were having fun batting with each other. Prithvi would play a classic Cover Drive, and Aryan would follow up with a Helicopter Shot.
The match ended in a dominant win for Aryan and Prithvi’s team.
Afterwards, Coach Kulkarni separated both of them and put them in opposing teams to balance the scales.
The match was exciting as Aryan and Prithvi were at each other’s necks. Prithvi would smash a Doosra (bowled by a reserve spinner) for six. Then suddenly, Aryan would bowl a toe-crushing Yorker to get a wicket.
The training match ended in a tie.
Coach Kulkarni was in a dilemma as both players were on top of their game. He was devising a playing XI that would allow both of them to play when they needed it.
He decided that since Prithvi had just recently returned from injury, he would be on the bench for the start of the semi-final but would be the designated Impact Player.
Coach Kulkarni was happy about the attacking options his team had.
The training continued for the following days until the match with Bengal U19.
Semi-Final Day
The match was nothing short of one-sided as Mumbai U19 crushed their opponents.
Bengal U19 won the toss and elected to field, hoping to exploit the morning moisture. It was a mistake.
The opening run of the game was scored by Harsh after receiving a quick single call from Aryan (batting at No. 3) in the 6th over.
Mumbai accelerated. The second big moment came 10 overs later. Manish (Let’s say Manoj, the defender/bowler equivalent from source) met a corner—I mean, took a catch off Aryan’s bowling later.
Wait, batting first.
Aryan dominated. He scored a quickfire 50.
In the 24th Over, Aryan got a Slower ball from the Bengal pacer. He waited for it and smashed a Knuckleball-style shot (baseball swing) into the stands.
The first innings ended with Mumbai U19 posting a massive 350/4.
Prithvi who was itching to get in on the fun joined the game as a substitute fielder/bowler in the second innings.
Aryan, who opened the bowling, became a nightmare to the Bengal top order.
He was swinging the ball both ways. He bowled a perfect Outswinger that took the edge of the Bengal captain.
Prithvi put his name on the scorecard as he took a brilliant catch at slips off Aryan’s bowling to make it 4 wickets down for Bengal.
The spirit of the Bengal U19 had already been broken as none of the players expected such humiliation in a semi-final.
It didn’t stop there. Aryan returned for a second spell. He bowled a Bouncer that surprised the batsman, leading to a caught-and-bowled.
Then, he bowled a Yorker that dismantled the stumps.
Coach Kulkarni, seeing the game was won (Bengal was 100/9), subbed off Aryan (Impact Player tactical rest for final).
The Mumbai U19 fans who saw him coming off stood up and clapped for Aryan.
Aryan reciprocated this gesture by raising the ball.
He had made 5 goal contributions—I mean, 150 runs and 4 wickets in the match.
The final wicket fell moments later.
Scoreboard:
Mumbai U19 [350/4] def. Bengal U19 [110 All Out] by 240 runs.
Highlights:
Harsh: 60 runs.
Aryan: 152 runs & 4 Wickets.
Prithvi: 2 Catches & 20 runs (late cameo).
Coach Kulkarni was happy by the performance put up by his team.
The news of the Mumbai U19 team decim
ating the Bengal U19 team spread quickly across the domestic circuit.
Some corporate teams and IPL scouts started asking for the services of some of the players.
Some medium and relatively big franchises like Deccan Chargers, Kings XI Punjab, and Delhi Daredevils were looking to inquire about players like Aryan, Prithvi, and Harsh.
They were however unlucky as all of the named players had a clause in their MCA contracts which stated that they had to play for the Senior Mumbai team for at least a year (or get an NOC) before they could sign elsewhere.
The Final of the Vinoo Mankad Trophy was scheduled for the 30th of May.
Aryan was given 2 days off. He spent them calling his family and texting Ananya.
Aryan made the most of the days. He had received a notification from the System that he had unlocked 5-star Shot Creativity and was now eligible to purchase difficult Skill Shots like the Dilscoop or 360-degree play.
He had also completed the 4th quest of the serial challenge and had gained 20 stat points and 20,000 LP.
He was still deliberating if he should upgrade his OVR but decided against it to save for the big final boost.
The players went back to training preparing for the match against Delhi U19 as they won a close match against Tamil Nadu U19
The match would be tough. Delhi U19 was a powerhouse, producing players like Virat Kohli.
Coach Kulkarni wanted his players to be at their best while making sure no one got injured..
He even had the Ranji team doctors check the fitness levels of the players before they would face Delhi, and the results that came out were satisfactory.
They trained until a day before the match when training ceased.
The tactical aspect followed as they watched the recent matches of the Delhi U19 team, analyzing their aggressive batting and spin attack (Leg breaks, Googlies).
Finally, the day of reckoning came as both teams stood in the tunnel of the Chinnaswamy Stadium, waiting to step onto the pitch.
(To be Continued)
