The stadium had begun to heat up due to the tension. Rising Youth, chasing 194, walked out not just to bat—but to wrestle a reputation back from the brink.
IV · Chase Begins – First 4 Overs (Overs 1–4)
The dusk light shimmered on the red soil. Rising Youth's dugout buzzed in subdued anticipation. Their openers—Nikhil and Rohit—walked out with confident strides. They had chased totals before, but this was different. 194 stared back from the scoreboard, daring them.
Over 1 – 10 runs
Rohit faced the first ball—medium pace, short of a length. He calmly opened the bat face and ran it past gully for a boundary to third man.
Nikhil joined in next ball, skipping down and lifting the seamer over mid-off for a well-controlled two. The over ended with another boundary—Rohit pulling a loose delivery to the midwicket fence.
Over 2 – 8 runs
The Tigers' second seamer tried to tighten the line. But Nikhil latched onto a half-volley, driving cleanly past extra cover. Four more. The outfield was rapid, the ground alive.
A mistimed punch from Rohit earned a lucky two after a misfield. The crowd clapped politely, noting the intent.
Over 3 – 9 runs
The Tigers switched to a back-of-length strategy. But the Rising Youth boys were ready.
Rohit played the shot of the evening—backfoot punch, threading the gap between point and cover, textbook.
Nikhil followed up with a dab to third man and a quick two off a thick inside edge. The Tigers fielders began to chirp louder.
Over 4 – Drama unfolds(13 runs)
Then came the change.
First, Rohit fell. The first ball of the fourth over was a teasing leg-cutter from the Tigers' seamer. Rohit, trying to punch off the back foot, nicked behind.
Caught by the keeper! Sharp take. Crowd roared. Momentum paused.
Next in—Arjun Desai. He walked in, calm as dusk. First ball, he tapped gently to mid-on. No run.
The third ball—a quicker one—he glanced to fine leg and sprinted two. No flash. Just rhythm.
But the real twist came three balls later.
Nikhil, trying to loft the spinner's second delivery, misjudged the flight. It dipped late. He slogged across the line.
Straight up—skied to long-on. Catch taken, clean as silk.
Two wickets in the over but varun hit 2 fours and byes for single.
By the time the 4th over closed, Rising Youth were 40/2. A healthy run rate—but the soul of the innings had cracked a little.
From the crowd, whispers flew like dust:
"That leggie's coming after the powerplay."
"Arjun's in… but this'll need something special."
In the shaded tent, the mysterious scout adjusted his notepad, eyes not on the scoreboard, but locked firmly on the boy at the striker's end.
Over 5 – Breathing Room(10 runs)
The tension from the double blow still lingered in the dugout, but Varun showed no nerves.
The fifth over began quietly—until Varun, ever the rhythm-watcher, waited for an overpitched off-cutter and unfurled a gorgeous flick past square leg. It pierced the ring like an arrow.
FOUR.
A ripple of applause broke the anxiety.
At the other end, Arjun played without flair but full of purpose—gentle pushes into the gaps, fast singles, precise judgment. The kind of innings that stitched oxygen into a suffocating chase.
By the end of the 5 over, 50/2. The dugout exhaled. Briefly.
Over 6 – Chaos Unleashed( 5runs)
The Tigers turned to their trump card again—their crafty leg-spinner, the very same who had rattled the Rising Youth's openers earlier.
His fingers danced with precision, wrist cocked like a loaded spring. Every delivery looked like it had a trick hidden inside.
First ball: A teasing flight, dipping sharply just short of a good length. Arjun prodded forward, uncertain. The ball gripped, turned faintly—just enough to kiss the edge of the bat.
There was a faint noise.
The keeper lunged low to his right—took it cleanly.
Gasps echoed from the Rising Youth dugout.
But...
No immediate appeal. No uproar. Just silence.
Then suddenly, a delayed eruption—"Howzat?!"
The Tigers went up in unison.
The umpire stood motionless, letting the moment settle—then shook his head.
NOT OUT!!
The crowd buzzed—restless and alive, murmuring like a wire charged with current. Some swore it was bat. Others insisted it was pad. The debate began before the ball was back in the bowler's hand.
Second ball: Varun, calm but aware of the pressure, tapped it softly toward point and called "Yes!"
A quick single attempt.
The fielder charged, gathered, fired at the non-striker's end.
Direct-hit chance.
Dust flew as Varun dived full stretch.
The umpire paused... raised his arms horizontally.
SAFE.
By a whisker.
Varun stood up, adjusted his helmet, and tapped his bat into the crease with quiet defiance.
Third ball: The new batsman, Arjun looked to break the pressure immediately.
Charged down the track—tried to slog it over cow corner.
But the leggie pulled back the length slightly.
Mistimed loft.
The ball climbed, hanging in the air like a flare above the 30-yard circle.
Long-on ran in—settled under it... and spilled it.
A collective groan from the crowd.
The batter survived—but only just.
End of Over 6: Rising Youth 55/2.
The scoreboard told a story of early fire now simmering under pressure.
And somewhere near the sight-screen, a mysterious man in a khaki cap scribbled a note.
Panic rippled through the Rising Youth bench. Coach Murali folded his arms tighter, eyes not blinking.
The crowd fell into murmurs—"Another collapse?"
Back at the non-striker's end, Arjun whispered to Varun as he returned:
"We're in this."
He didn't smile. He just tightened his gloves and looked at the horizon.
Over 7 – 8 runs
Arjun and Varun reset, played smart. Two doubles, two singles. A gentle push for four from Varun eased nerves.
Over 8 – 6 runs
Spinner tightened the screws. Dot balls, a risky single, and a swept two from Arjun.
End of 8 overs: 69/2
VI · Stability (Overs 9–12)
Varun & Arjun rotated strike well, kept away from spin.
69/2 and required in 12 overs: 124– needed ~10.3 rpo.
Runs flow but tension high. Murali paces boundary, urging calm.
Arjun and varun pair played smart and took 2s for 3 balls and a four, scoring 30 runs just to meet the run rate required.
Scout scribbled: "Arjun watches — composure even when others tumble."
Overs 9–12 Total: 38 runs
Required: 195
Current: 69/2
So now:
End of 12 overs: 107/2
Required: 87 from 48 balls (~11 RPO)
VII · Varun's Rotations (Overs 13–14)(18runs)
13 over: Varun flicked leggie for FOUR; then smart doubles and single. RR hovered 9.
14 over: Arjun lofted a bouncer over midwicket for four.
They took 18 runs in two overs — safe, measured aggression.
Crowd:
"They're building now."
"Tigers look rattled."
Total: 125/2 in 14 overs
69 needed from 36 balls
VIII · Arjun Turns 360 (Overs 15–17)
The skies had dimmed, but the tension at ground level burned brighter than ever.
The scoreboard read 125/2, 69 needed from 36 balls.
And then—something changed in Arjun's stance.
His grip shifted subtly. His front foot became his back.
Coach Murali's eyes narrowed.
Coach Nayak leaned forward.
One of the scouts whispered, "He's flipping. He's going ambi-mode."
The other nodded. "Watch closely now."
15th Over – The Reveal
The off-spinner jogged in from around the wicket, trying to cramp Arjun on the leg side.
First ball: Arjun, now left-handed, shuffled across, bent low, and reverse-swept—not like a gimmick, but like a seasoned southpaw.
The ball took flight, high over short third man.
SIX!
The crowd gasped, then roared.
Even the Tigers' captain tilted his head—"Did he just…?"
Second ball: Fuller, drifting outside off.
Arjun switched mid-stance, now facing as a right-hander.
He crouched and flat-scooped it—almost like a volleyball push—over the keeper's head.
FOUR!
The ball didn't climb, it skimmed, fast and surgical.
The field scattered. Midwicket dropped deeper. Third man pulled square.
The off-spinner looked rattled.
But Arjun?
He just switched again—now playing left-handed with a pristine stillness, like this was his dominant side all along.
End of 15th Over: 137/2.
The crowd was standing now, phones raised, murmurs rippling through the bleachers.
The scout scribbled something fast, then murmured, "That's no trick. That's spatial intelligence."
57 runs required of 30 balls
16th Over – Deconstruction (9 runs)
The leg-spinner returned, hoping to disrupt the momentum.
He tossed one wide, trying to tempt varun outside off.
First ball: varun played late—a deft cut off the back foot from the left-handed stance.
Not a slash, but a glide, threading between short third and backward point.
They ran three, Varun pumping legs at the non-striker's end.
Second ball: Quicker through the air.
This time, Arjun went right-handed again.
The field was wrong for him now.
He flicked—just flicked—using wrists alone, into vacant midwicket.
Two runs.
Third ball: A sharp googly.
Arjun rocked back—paddled it like a street cricketer, sending it behind square for a single.
A soft cheer echoed. The Tigers now looked uncertain.
End of 16th Over: 146/2.
Just 48 needed from 24.
And the required run rate, once touching 12, was now dipping.
17th Over – Dismantling Patterns (10)
A new off-spinner was brought in, hoping for an error.
First ball: Flighted on off stump.
Arjun held the left-handed stance, leaned in—and cover drove with poise.
Not lofted. Not flashy.
Just a crisp extension of the arms through the line—FOUR through extra cover.
The crowd loved it. The sound off the bat was clean, like splitting dry wood.
Second ball: Pitched shorter, into middle and leg.
Arjun stood tall, flicked off the hips, wide of deep square.
They ran two again.
He was farming strike, calculating the field placements every ball.
Third ball: Faster, flatter, on a length.
Arjun stayed right-handed.
He stepped across—then, in a blink, ramped it behind the keeper.
Just one run, but another statement.
The off-spinner scratched his head. "What field do I even set for this guy?"
End of 17th Over: 156/2.
Now just 38 needed from 18 balls.
The required rate still steep, but the Tigers' grip had loosened.
The silence around the scout had deepened.
He leaned forward, watching the replay on his phone of Arjun's reverse-sweep, then his cover drive from the wrong stance.
He murmured, "For thirteen, that's audacity. This… this isn't taught. But if we channel it—he could be anything."
17 overs: 156/2 – run rate ~12.
The hush fell. The scout scribbled heavily—eyeing the phone captures of those shots.
But the storm hadn't peaked yet.
Three overs remained—and Arjun hadn't even shown his final hand.
Note : Thank you 'Puneeth_Naag_6118' for powerstones. and as a bonus ill update 2more chapters.!!!!