Chapter 16 — The First Selector Visit
Age: 9 Years Old
Kolkata felt unusually tense that morning.
Even the wind near Dakshineswar Kali Temple carried less noise than usual.
The local ground was crowded—but quieter than normal.
Because today…
someone important had come.
The Man on the Boundary
A man stood near the boundary rope.
Plain shirt.
Clipboard in hand.
Calm eyes.
No loud introduction.
No announcement.
But everyone knew.
He was not a local coach.
He was from outside.
A selector.
Ghosh Kaku noticed him immediately.
His expression changed slightly.
Not excitement.
Concern.
Because selectors didn't come for ordinary games.
They came when something had already crossed a threshold.
Riddhiman Notices Too
Nine-year-old Riddhiman Paul didn't react outwardly.
But internally—
he noticed everything.
unfamiliar presence
silent observation
repeated note-taking
His mind immediately adjusted.
Observation phase increased.
The match had not even started yet.
But pressure already existed.
First Over — Observation Pressure
Opposition bowled normally at first.
But every delivery now felt different.
Because someone was watching.
Every player tried harder.
Every mistake felt heavier.
Riddhiman stood at non-striker end initially.
Watching.
Always watching.
He wasn't just waiting to bat.
He was studying how pressure changes behavior.
And then he realized something:
Players don't fail because of skill drop…
They fail because of observation awareness.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
His Turn to Bat
When he walked in, the ground changed energy.
Even the selector looked up slightly.
Not impressed.
Not emotional.
Just evaluating.
First ball.
Good length.
Riddhiman defended.
Normal.
Safe.
Second ball.
Slight variation.
He adjusted late.
Single.
But now—
something changed.
The selector stopped writing.
Third Ball — First Real Test
The bowler tried aggression.
Short ball.
Fast.
Crowd reacted slightly.
This was expected to trouble him.
Riddhiman watched carefully.
He didn't rush.
He waited longer than usual.
Then controlled pull.
FOUR.
Clean.
Simple.
Efficient.
Selector finally wrote something.
Fourth Ball — Pressure Increase
Field tightened immediately.
Bowler angry now.
Plan shifting.
They tried to restrict him.
Classic squeeze pattern.
But Riddhiman noticed instantly:
They are trying to block Box Theory zones.
Good.
They were adapting.
That meant he had to evolve again.
He adjusted stance slightly.
Not visible.
Just internal shift.
Fifth Ball — The Selector Moment
Full delivery.
Outside off.
Perfect setup ball.
Field ready for trap.
Riddhiman saw it all.
point slightly deeper
cover slightly wider
mid-off angled in
Trap formation.
But he did something unexpected.
He didn't hit.
He didn't defend.
He simply let it pass.
Silence.
Even the bowler froze.
That was not in plan.
Sixth Ball
Now pressure increased.
They thought he was confused.
They attacked again.
Short ball.
But this time—
Riddhiman changed timing completely.
Late adjustment.
Very late.
Ball went behind square.
FOUR again.
Crowd reaction shifted.
From curiosity → shock.
Selector stopped writing completely.
Now he was only watching.
Ghosh Kaku's Realization
The coach whispered under breath:
"Ekhon serious hoye geche…"
(Now it has become serious…)
He wasn't talking about match.
He was talking about attention.
Innings End
Riddhiman remained not out again.
Match ended quickly after that.
But result didn't matter anymore.
Because something else had happened.
The Selector's Words
After match, the selector finally walked toward Ghosh Kaku.
Simple voice.
No emotion.
Only observation.
"This boy…"
Pause.
"…reads game too early."
Another pause.
"That is not common at this age."
Ghosh Kaku didn't reply immediately.
Because even he didn't fully understand what he was witnessing anymore.
Riddhiman's Reaction
Riddhiman stood a few meters away.
He heard everything.
But didn't react.
No smile.
No pride.
Only thought:
"Reading game early is not enough."
"I need to control it."
Night Scene — Rooftop
That night, wind was heavier than usual.
Clouds moved slowly over Kolkata.
No stars visible.
Only distant city glow.
Riddhiman practiced shadow batting again.
But something had changed.
Now he imagined:
selector watching
pressure increasing
bowlers adapting faster
And he adjusted accordingly.
His movements became sharper.
More precise.
More calculated.
And then he whispered:
"Selection is not arrival…"
Pause.
"It is beginning of resistance."
Ending of Chapter 16
Far below, Kolkata slept.
But on the rooftop above it—
a nine-year-old boy was no longer thinking about local matches.
He was already preparing for a world that had started noticing him.