June 18, 2017 | The Oval, London
Champions Trophy Final — India vs Pakistan
Part 1: The Storm Before the Silence
Prologue: Tension That Stings
From the rooftops of South London to the subways of Mumbai, the final was all anyone could talk about. India vs Pakistan. Oval. Full house. A billion voices surging toward one moment.
Outside the ground, the tricolour waved alongside green crescents. Inside, the Oval buzzed like a pressure cooker about to explode.
Ishaan Verma stood at the balcony of the Indian dressing room, still lacing up his boots. He wasn't meant to walk in first. But he could already feel the script rewriting itself.
A cold wind blew across the outfield.
Toss & Teams
At the center, Kohli lost the toss. Sarfaraz Ahmed elected to bat first on a hard, flat wicket. There was little grass, no demons, and everything suggested a run-fest.
Pakistan XI:
Fakhar Zaman, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed (C), Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Amir, Shadab Khan
India XI:
Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (C), Ishaan Verma, MS Dhoni (wk), Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav
Pakistan Innings: A Controversial Blaze
India opened with Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah.
Over 3.1 – Bumrah to Fakhar
Edged to Dhoni! Given out.
But wait. The umpire signals no-ball. Front foot.
Groans echoed. Kohli's arms fell. Ishaan's eyes didn't blink.
The Turning Point That Never Turned Back
Fakhar Zaman went on a rampage.
Fours off Bhuvi, sixes off Pandya, footwork like dance — fearless and fluid. Azhar supported, Babar flowed, and Hafeez gave the final push.
Fakhar's hundred — 106 (114)
Pakistan 338/4 in 50 overs
Indian Dressing Room: The Calm Before Collapse
Ishaan sat still, helmet in his lap.
Dhoni beside him:
"This pitch is true. Chaseable. But no panic."
Ishaan nodded, lips dry. His eyes flicked to a sticker on his bat handle:
"Hold your ground."
India's Reply: A Nightmare Unfolds
Over 0.5 – Amir to Rohit
Late inswinger.
BOWLED!
Off-stump cartwheeling. The Oval erupts — green flags dance.
India 6/1
Ishaan stood up instinctively. But Kohli motioned: "My turn."
Over 1.2 – Amir to Kohli
Outside off. Flicked… straight to point!
GONE. Golden duck.
Silence in the Indian camp. Ishaan didn't move.
Over 3.1 – Amir to Dhawan
Slashed high — caught at cover!
India 10/3
Commentary (Sourav Ganguly):
"This is a car crash in slow motion. And India has no seatbelt on."
The Walk Out
Ishaan walked through a corridor of silence. No high-fives. No whispers. Just the echo of his spikes on the concrete.
The stadium was deafening. Booing. Roaring. Taunting.
Stump Mic (close to boundary):
Pak fan:
"Let's see how the IPL prince plays real cricket!"
Ishaan tapped his bat down. Took guard.
The Oval felt ten times bigger than it was.
Part 2: Ishaan's Fight Begins
(Ball-by-ball innings coverage from 10/3 to 100)*
Score: India 10/3 | Target: 339 | Overs: 3.2 | Verma 0(0)
Stump Mic – Amir (grinning):
"Come on, golden boy. Win this alone, why don't you?"
Ishaan didn't reply. He adjusted his helmet, tapped once, and stared down the pitch. He wasn't here for talk. He was here to survive the storm.
Over 4 – Mohammad Amir to Ishaan Verma
4.1 – Length, rising outside off. Ishaan shoulders arms.
No run.
4.2 – Good length, angling in. Compact defense.
No run.
4.3 – Short, testing bounce. Ishaan ducks.
Crowd jeers.
"What happened to the hook shot, prince?"
4.4 – Full outside off. Driven square.
FOUR!
His first runs.
Commentary (Harsha Bhogle):
"There it is. Calm. Measured. No panic."
4.5 – Yorker, middle stump. Dug out just in time.
No run.
4.6 – Slower ball, wide. Ishaan leaves.
End of over. India 14/3
At the Other End: Yuvraj Struggles
The contrast is stark. While Ishaan defends with composure, Yuvraj Singh misreads Shadab's variations.
Over 7.3 – Shadab to Yuvraj
Attempted sweep. Misses.
Clean bowled.
India 29/4
MS Dhoni Joins Ishaan
Two generations. Two styles. One task.
Over 9 – Hasan Ali to Ishaan
9.1 – Back of length. Flicked to midwicket.
Single.
9.3 – Hasan to Dhoni
Pushed for one.
Ishaan back on strike.
9.5 – Bouncer. Ishaan hooks!
Top edge… over keeper!
FOUR!
Ugly but effective.
Stump Mic – Dhoni:
"Don't take on every short ball. You've got time."
Verma (softly):
"I know. I just wanted to hit back once."
Partnership Builds Slowly
India 56/4 after 15 overs. Run rate climbing, but Ishaan remains unflustered.
Over 18 – Imad Wasim to Verma
18.2 – Flighted. Ishaan down the track.
Straight over bowler. FOUR.
18.4 – Faster one. Steered to point.
Single.
Verma 41(48)
Crowd quiet now. Chants start: "Verrrr-mah! Verrrr-mah!"
Over 22 – Hafeez to Verma
22.3 – Slightly short. Rocks back.
Pulled through midwicket. FOUR!
Verma 50 off 60 balls
Commentary (Michael Atherton):
"This is class. This is poise under siege. He isn't chasing the score — he's chasing silence inside chaos."
But Then — Disaster
Over 25.1 – Mix-up!
Dhoni taps and runs. Ishaan hesitates… then sprints.
Direct hit at non-striker's end.
OUT.
MS Dhoni 17(30)
India 106/5
Stump Mic (Ishaan):
"No… no…" (barely audible)
He doesn't speak again for two overs.
Counterattack from Pandya
Hardik Pandya walks in swinging.
Over 27.2 – Shadab to Pandya
Six!
Over 27.3 – Another Six!
For 3 overs, India feels alive.
But Hope Fades Again
Over 30.4 – Pandya tries another wild slog. Misses. Bowled.
India 152/6
Ishaan stood mid-pitch, watching the bails spin. He didn't shake his head. Didn't flinch.
Just walked down and tapped the crease.
Verma's Response: Precision
Over 31.1 – Amir to Verma
Wide full toss. Crunched through cover.
FOUR!
Over 33.5 – Junaid to Verma
Angled in. Glanced fine.
FOUR!
Verma 75(84)
Commentary (Sourav Ganguly):
"He's playing with complete awareness. But the problem is — he's watching partners vanish."
Jadeja Goes Next
Over 36.2 – Shadab to Jadeja
Steps out. Mistimes it.
Caught at long-on.
India 182/7
Verma takes a deep breath, wipes his bat handle with his sleeve, and walks over to Bhuvneshwar.
"Don't worry about runs. Just stay."
Over 39.3 – Bhuvi edges behind. GONE.
India 192/8
Verma watches the replay on the big screen as he kneels mid-pitch to tie his shoelace. A long pause. Then, back up. Expression blank.
Over 41 – Three Boundaries
Verma decides he's had enough.
41.1 – Hasan to Verma
Overpitched.
Driven. FOUR!
41.3 – Bouncer. Hooked. FOUR!
41.5 – Slower ball. Waited. Cut past point. FOUR!
Verma 96(94)
Crowd now on its feet. The Indian section begins to believe again.
Over 43.2 – Shadab to Verma
Reverse sweep.
FOUR!
That's the hundred.
Verma – 100 (98 balls)*
12 Fours | 1 Six
Standing ovation from Indian fans. Even neutral spectators clap.
But Ishaan doesn't celebrate. Just a small nod. He raises his bat briefly, then points it toward the dressing room.
But the Collapse Is Absolute
Over 44.1 – Umesh tries to slog. Gone.
Over 46.2 – Bumrah is cleaned up.
India All Out: 264 (44.2 overs)
Verma: 119 (109 balls)*
He remains alone at the crease. Helmet still on. Gloves still tight.
Behind him, Pakistani players embrace. Fireworks burst.
He doesn't move. Just kneels, looking at the stumps.
Part 3: The Silence After the Storm
(Post-match | Emotional Fallout)
The Walk Back
The fireworks still blazed behind him. The sky at The Oval turned into a halo of green and gold. The crowd roared for Pakistan's win. Cameras panned to jubilant fans. Confetti floated through the air like judgment.
And through it all, Ishaan Verma stood at the non-striker's end.
Helmet still on. Gloves still fastened.
119* (109). But the scoreboard read:
India all out — 264.
He finally turned, walking back like a soldier returning from a lost war—silent, scorched, and still standing.
Stump Mic (as he passes the umpires):
"Well played, son." — softly, from Aleem Dar.
No reaction. Ishaan kept walking.
The Dressing Room: No Consolation
Inside, Kohli had both hands on his head. Pandya was pacing in the corner. Dhoni sat with his pads still on, staring blankly at the carpet.
Ishaan removed his gloves slowly. Not a word was spoken.
Post-Match Presentation
The crowd chanted:
"PAAAA-KIS-TAAAN! PAAAA-KIS-TAAAN!"
Trophy handed. Sarfaraz lifted it. Fireworks again.
In the distance, Ishaan watched.
He still hadn't taken off his pads.
The Press Conference
Reporters crammed the room. The flashbulbs were like lightning strikes.
Virat Kohli entered first, followed by Ishaan — still in full gear. His pads creaked as he sat.
Reporter 1 (UK):
"Virat, what went wrong today?"
Kohli (flatly):
"They were better. We weren't."
Reporter 2 (Indian):
"Ishaan, how does it feel to score a century in a final… and still lose?"
A pause.
Ishaan gave the faintest smile — brittle and dry.
"Like a fire burning underwater."
Silence followed. The line was quoted by every outlet within minutes.
Media Backlash: The Next 48 Hours
India had lost the final. And somewhere between analysis and outrage, the weight of the loss found its easiest target.
News Headlines:
"Ishaan's ton in vain — Hero or Hollow?"
"Played for milestone, not the match?"
"Stat-padding won't win us trophies."
Social Media Comments:
"Played selfishly."
"No killer instinct."
"Batting for average. Not for India."
"Choked again."
"Virat scored ducks. But blame Verma. Lol."
"Good PR. No big match aura."
Hashtags:
#VermaThePassenger
#StatPadder
#ChokersAgain
#NotAFinisher
One Supporter in the Storm
Inside the team hotel, Kohli called an impromptu meeting.
"Say what you want about today. But that man"—he pointed at Ishaan—"he kept us alive till the end."
"He faced Amir at his peak. He played with ghosts at the other end. He never flinched."
"So before any of you talk, remember—he stayed."
Ishaan sat at the back, head low.
Alone in the Hotel Room
That night, he didn't eat. Didn't shower. Just sat with his bat laid out on the table in front of him. The highlights of the match played on silent loop on TV.
He watched again as the final wicket fell. He stood frozen on the non-striker's end. Again. And again.
He didn't cry. He didn't shout.
He just… rewound the video.
Text Notification — 1:17 AM
From an unknown number.
"Still proud of you. — E"
No emoji. No punctuation beyond the full stop. Just that.
He stared at it for a long while, lips slightly parted. Then locked the phone without replying.
Final Scene: The Mirror
He stood in the bathroom.
Helmet on the counter. Jersey soaked in sweat.
He looked at his reflection for several minutes, breathing heavy, chest rising and falling.
Finally, he whispered to himself.
"Next time…"
"I don't just stay."
"I finish."