The fourth match of the zonal championship was scheduled for March 6th, and Western UP was set to host Purvanchal Zone at the Bijnor Stadium. The team had just come off a dominant win against Terai Region, and the buzz around Nikhil Srivatam was growing louder.
Not just in Bijnor.
Across the zone.
The Spotlight Finds Him
Two days before the match, a local sports journalist from UP Cricket Weekly arrived at the training ground. He wore a faded press badge and carried a camera that had seen better days.
"Nikhil Srivatam?" he asked, approaching the nets.
Nikhil nodded, mid-drill.
"I've been following your matches. That 87-run knock against Terai? That was something else."
Nikhil smiled politely. "Still a long way to go."
The journalist spent the afternoon interviewing players, snapping photos, and scribbling notes. By evening, a short article had gone live:
"Western UP's young captain is not just leading—he's sculpting victories. With bat, ball, and brain."
The team read it in silence.
Some smiled.
Some shrugged.
Nikhil folded the paper and tucked it into his kit bag.
The Scout in the Stands
What the article didn't mention was the man who arrived the next morning.
He wore a plain blue shirt, dark sunglasses, and sat quietly in the upper stands. No press badge. No introductions.
But Coach Devraj recognized him instantly.
Ravindra Kulkarni, a senior scout from the UP Cricket Board, known for spotting talent in zonal tournaments and fast-tracking players to state camps.
He didn't speak to anyone.
He just watched.
Nikhil noticed him during warm-ups.
He didn't change his routine.
He just sharpened it.
The Rain Arrives
Match day dawned with grey skies and a thick blanket of humidity. The forecast had warned of showers, but the ground staff had prepared well—covers ready, drainage checked.
At 9:00 AM, both captains met for the toss.
Nikhil Srivatam for Western UP. Manan Srivastava for Purvanchal Zone.
The coin went up.
Purvanchal won the toss and chose to bat first.
Nikhil nodded. "Let's stay sharp. Rain or not, we play smart."
First Innings – Interrupted Rhythm
Western UP opened with Ritesh Yadav and Imran Khan, both in rhythm from the last match.
The first five overs were tight—just 22 runs conceded, one wicket taken.
But in the sixth over, the drizzle began.
Light at first. Then heavier.
The umpires called for covers.
Players jogged off. The crowd groaned. The sky darkened.
For 47 minutes, the match was halted.
When play resumed, the pitch had changed.
Slower. Stickier. The ball wasn't coming on.
Purvanchal adjusted quickly. Their No. 3 batter, Raghav Tiwari, began sweeping and nudging, using soft hands and quick feet.
Nikhil rotated his bowlers, trying to find grip.
He brought himself on in the 18th over.
His first ball dipped and turned—almost a wicket.
His second over got him a breakthrough—caught at short cover.
But the rain had tilted the balance.
Purvanchal finished at 189 for 6 in 35 overs.
Tactical Shift
During the innings break, Nikhil sat with Coach Devraj.
"This pitch is slow now," he said. "We can't play like last match. We need to grind."
He reshuffled the batting order.
Sent Siddharth Rawal up to open. Moved Mahesh to No. 3. Kept himself at No. 5.
"We build in layers," he told the team. "No rush. No panic."
Second Innings – The Grind Begins
Siddharth and Ravi opened cautiously.
Singles. Dot balls. A boundary every three overs.
By the 10th over, they were 48 for no loss.
Then came a collapse.
Ravi edged to slip. Mahesh mistimed a pull. Siddharth was run out in a mix-up.
Western UP was 72 for 3 in the 16th over.
Nikhil walked in.
The scout was still in the stands.
The drizzle had returned.
The pressure was mounting.
The Captain's Response
Nikhil didn't play flashy.
He played smart.
He swept the spinners. He nudged singles. He ran hard.
At the other end, Karan Bhagat supported him with a gritty 28.
Together, they rebuilt.
By the 30th over, Western UP needed 28 runs from 30 balls.
Then the rain returned—heavier.
Play was halted again.
The DLS target was calculated.
Western UP needed 12 runs from 12 balls when play resumed.
Nikhil took strike.
First ball—cut for four. Second ball—dot. Third ball—single. Fourth ball—Karan lofted over mid-on for two. Fifth ball—wide. Sixth ball—Nikhil flicked for three.
Match won.
By 3 wickets.
The Aftermath
The team erupted.
Nikhil didn't.
He walked to the scout, offered a handshake.
Kulkarni smiled. "You read the pitch better than most state captains."
Nikhil nodded. "One ball at a time."
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Zonal Championship Points Table
Team Name – Matches Played – Wins – Losses – Points – Net Run Rate (NRR)
Western UP – 3 – 3 – 0 – 6 – +0.89
Eastern UP – 3 – 2 – 1 – 4 – +0.42
Central UP – 3 – 2 – 1 – 4 – +0.31
Purvanchal – 3 – 1 – 2 – 2 – -0.18
Awadh Zone – 3 – 1 – 2 – 2 – -0.25
Rohilkhand – 3 – 1 – 2 – 2 – -0.34
Terai Region – 3 – 1 – 2 – 2 – -0.47
Bundelkhand – 3 – 0 – 3 – 0 – -0.63