The sun had barely risen over Delhi, but the stadium was already humming with activity. It wasn't a huge venue like Eden Gardens or Wankhede, but for Ajay, the small district ground felt just as grand. White chalk lined the boundaries, fresh grass gleamed under the early light, and the smell of wet earth from the pitch lingered in the cool morning breeze.
It was match day. His first official district-level game.
The Morning Build-Up
Ajay reached the ground early, well before the rest of the team. He wanted time to feel the space, get used to the conditions, and calm any nerves.
He walked along the pitch, crouching down to run his fingers over the surface. It was hard, with a hint of grass—perfect for stroke play but quick enough to keep bowlers interested. In his old life, he would have left these details to the coach. Now, he knew that understanding the pitch was as important as practicing cover drives.
The rest of the team arrived soon after, the chatter and laughter signaling their arrival. His teammates were a mix of familiar and new faces. Some had been with him during trials, others were veterans of district cricket.
"Ajay Sharma, right?" a tall fast bowler named Imran asked as he set his kit down.
"Yeah," Ajay replied with a small smile.
"Heard you scored 78 in trials. Let's see if you can do it again," Imran said, half-joking, half-testing.
Ajay didn't take the bait. "Let's see what happens."
The Toss and Batting Order
The captain, Raghav, called correctly and chose to bat first. Ajay was slotted in at number three—high enough to be trusted, low enough to give him a buffer if the openers started well.
The first over was tight, no boundaries, just a couple of singles. The second over began with a sharp in-swinger that trapped opener Sameer LBW. Suddenly, Ajay was up.
Walking In
As he stepped onto the pitch, the noise of the small but lively crowd washed over him. Some cheered, some clapped politely, a few just watched silently.
He tapped his bat twice on the crease, took guard, and looked up at the bowler. A right-arm quick, smooth action, eyes fixed on him. The first ball was short of a length, rising toward his ribs. Ajay swiveled, rolling his wrists, and sent it racing to fine leg for four.
The sound of the middle meeting the ball drew a few murmurs of approval from the boundary.
Finding His Rhythm
Ajay didn't try to dominate from the start. He worked the gaps, ran singles, and waited for loose deliveries. When the bowler overpitched, he leaned into a classic cover drive that drew applause even from the opposition's slips.
By the tenth over, he was on 28, and the team score was steady at 60 for one. His partner, Raghav, was rotating the strike well, giving Ajay time to face plenty of balls.
The Turning Point
In the 14th over, a young left-arm spinner came on. Ajay's system pinged softly in his head—his spin-batting skill recognition triggering.
The first ball was tossed up invitingly. Ajay stepped out, meeting it on the full, and lofted it over extra cover for four. The second was shorter, and he rocked back, cutting hard past point.
The spinner tried to adjust by bowling flatter, but Ajay used soft hands to guide singles, keeping the strike moving. By the time the bowler finished his spell, Ajay was past 40 and the run rate was climbing.
Reaching 45
With five overs left in the innings, Ajay was on 45. He thought briefly of pushing for a fifty, but he knew the team's needs came first. In the 26th over, he tried to lift a slower ball over mid-off but mistimed it slightly, sending it just over the fielder for a single.
His innings ended when he attempted a reverse sweep off a part-time spinner and got a faint edge to the keeper. Disappointed but not frustrated, he walked off to applause.
45 runs, 32 balls, seven boundaries, and sharp running between the wickets.
Fielding Showcase
If his batting had been steady, his fielding was electric.
In the seventh over of the opposition's chase, their opener punched one toward point. Ajay dived full length to his right, stopping the ball inches from the boundary, and in one motion threw it back, limiting them to a single.
Later, in the 14th over, a risky single to mid-off saw Ajay scoop the ball and fire a direct hit at the stumps. The batsman was caught a yard short, and the crowd roared.
His awareness, speed, and accuracy were far sharper than they had been in his first life, and his system reflected it:
Fielding – 63/100
The Final Overs
The match tightened in the final overs. The opposition needed 25 from the last 12 balls. Imran bowled the 19th over brilliantly, conceding only four runs. That left 21 to get from six balls.
The last over was handled calmly by Raghav, and the team sealed a narrow win.
Post-Match
In the dressing room, the coach praised Ajay's composure. "Forty-five runs, two sharp catches, one run-out. That's the kind of all-round performance we need."
Ajay nodded. He knew this was just the start, but it felt good to have proven himself on debut.
As he walked home later, his system chimed again:
Batting – 512/10,000
Fielding – 63/100
Fitness – 39/100
The numbers kept rising, and so did his hunger.