June 18, 2017 | Edgbaston, Birmingham
Champions Trophy Semi-final — India vs England
Prologue: The Road Narrows
The wind was brisk that morning at Edgbaston, but inside the Indian dressing room, the air was still — quiet and taut with the anticipation only semi-finals carry.
Ishaan Verma sat in his usual corner, notebook open on his lap. No headphones. No music. Just the rhythmic scribbling of his pen:
"Win with courage. Lose with dignity. Leave no doubt about effort."
This was not just another match.
This was England.
At home.
In a semi-final.
The Toss
At the center, Virat Kohli flipped the coin high. Eoin Morgan called tails. Heads it was.
India would bat first.
Playing XIs
India:
Rohit Sharma
Shikhar Dhawan
Virat Kohli (C)
Ishaan Verma
MS Dhoni (wk)
Yuvraj Singh
Hardik Pandya
Ravindra Jadeja
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Umesh Yadav
Jasprit Bumrah
England:
Jason Roy
Alex Hales
Joe Root
Eoin Morgan (C)
Ben Stokes
Jos Buttler (wk)
Moeen Ali
Adil Rashid
Liam Plunkett
Jake Ball
Mark Wood
1st Innings — India Bat
A cloud cover hung overhead, swinging conditions beckoning. England's bowlers licked their lips.
Early Trouble
Over 3.3 – Wood to Dhawan
Caught at slip!
India 19/1.
Over 5.5 – Plunkett to Rohit
Edged! Gone.
India 35/2.
Ishaan stood up, unstrapped his helmet, and quietly murmured under his breath:
"Breathe. Eyes on the sky. But feet on the ground."
He walked out to bat.
The Rebuild: Kohli & Verma
Over 9.2 – Ball to Verma
Short of length. Tucked to square leg.
Single.
Off the mark.
Over 11.4 – Rashid to Verma
Flighted. Ishaan steps out. Smashes it over cover.
FOUR!
No celebration. Just calm.
Stump Mic – Kohli to Verma:
"Don't think about timelines. Let them panic."
Ball-by-Ball Highlights
Over 15.1 – Wood to Verma
Short ball. Ishaan hooks it!
Over fine leg.
SIX!
Over 17.3 – Rashid to Verma
Reverse-sweep. Glorious.
FOUR!
India: 97/2
Verma: 32(36)
Kohli: 41(43)
Over 23 — The Moment
23.1 – Stokes to Kohli
Short ball. Kohli punches to point.
Ishaan responds late to the call — Kohli's already halfway down.
Ishaan sprints. Mid-pitch collision between them.
A direct hit is coming.
Instinct kicks in — Ishaan dives. But instead of saving himself, he slows down just a second… lets Kohli cross first.
The bails light up.
Third Umpire Review.
OUT – Ishaan Verma: 46(52)
The Crowd Goes Quiet
Even the England fans stop. The replay plays again.
Clear. He sacrificed himself.
Kohli Realizes
He walks to Ishaan, who is dusting himself off. For a second, Kohli just stares.
Then — a hug. A long one. Not of victory. But of respect.
Stump Mic (Kohli):
"You'll be remembered for this."
Commentary Box (Harsha Bhogle):
"That is the heart of this Indian team. And Ishaan Verma has just shown us what true cricketing character looks like."
India Finish at 287/6
Dhoni plays a late cameo. Pandya adds flourish.
The dressing room is subdued, despite the fightback.
During the Innings Break
Ishaan sits, pads still on, staring at the giant screen replaying his dismissal.
He writes in his notebook again:
"Sometimes winning isn't about runs. It's about running for the man next to you."
"The job isn't done yet."
England Chase
A spirited bowling performance follows.
Bumrah gets Roy early.
Yadav removes Hales.
Root and Stokes try to resist. But Jadeja's web proves too much.
England: 244 all out.
India win by 43 runs.
Celebrations
The team rushes the field. But Ishaan walks slowly, watching the English fans walk away. He folds his gloves into his back pocket.
Kohli walks over.
Kohli:
"Finals next. You're ready."
Ishaan (softly):
"I'm not chasing glory anymore."
Kohli (smiling):
"Good. Let glory chase you then."
Back at the Hotel
As the team celebrates in the dining hall, Ishaan sits at the balcony, pen in hand, notebook open.
He scribbles:
"They may remember the sixes… but I'll remember the dive."
He shuts the book.