The sixth match of the zonal championship was set to unfold at the Varanasi Cricket Ground, a venue known for its deceptive pitch and swirling winds. The fixture: Western UP vs Eastern UP. Both teams had won four out of five. Both captains were sixteen. But only one had tasted defeat.
Kabir Solanki, Eastern UP's captain, was a left-arm pacer with a sharp cricketing brain and a quiet intensity. He didn't talk much, but he studied everything—angles, footwork, field placements, even breathing patterns.
He had trained with Nikhil Srivatam two years ago at a state camp. He knew Nikhil's rhythm. And today, he planned to break it.
The Toss and the Trap
At 9:00 AM, the captains met at the center.
Kabir won the toss and chose to bowl first.
The pitch was dry but had faint moisture patches near the good length. It would offer seam early, then flatten out. Kabir wanted to exploit the first 12 overs and chase under lights.
Nikhil nodded. "We bat smart. We bat deep."
But he knew this wouldn't be a normal chase.
This was a trap.
First Innings – Western UP Batting
Western UP's openers—Mahesh Yadav and Siddharth Rawal—walked out with confidence. The first few overs were steady. Singles, nudges, and one crisp boundary through cover.
Then Kabir came on.
First ball—Mahesh edged to slip. Third ball—Ravi Chauhan was trapped LBW. Next over—Siddharth mistimed a pull and was caught.
Western UP was 41 for 3 in the 9th over.
The crowd erupted.
Kabir didn't celebrate wildly.
He just stared at the pavilion.
Waiting.
Nikhil Walks In
Nikhil Srivatam walked in at No. 4.
The noise was deafening.
Kabir smiled.
First ball—wide outside off. Tempting. Nikhil let it go.
Second ball—angled in. Nikhil defended.
Third ball—slower one. Nikhil stepped out and lofted it over mid-off for four.
It wasn't just a shot.
It was a statement.
But Kabir kept probing.
He bowled wide lines, cutters, and short balls that sat up awkwardly.
Nikhil struggled.
His usual rhythm—fluid drives, quick singles, and late cuts—wasn't working.
So he rewrote it.
He began sweeping pacers. He used the crease. He ran hard—twos where others took singles.
At the other end, Karan Bhagat anchored the innings.
Together, they rebuilt.
Nikhil's knock wasn't elegant.
It was defiant.
He finished with 68 off 59 balls, a patchwork of grit and improvisation.
Western UP posted 192 for 7 in 35 overs.
Defendable.
But fragile.
Second Innings – Eastern UP Chasing
Nikhil opened with Imran Khan and Ritesh Yadav, hoping for early breakthroughs.
It worked—Imran got a wicket in the second over.
But Eastern UP's middle order was solid.
Their No. 3 batter, Rudraksh Bansal, played a calm knock—52 off 48 balls, mixing aggression with calm.
Kabir came in at No. 5 and played like he bowled—precise, patient, and ruthless.
Nikhil rotated his bowlers smartly, even bowled two overs himself, conceding just 9 runs.
He set attacking fields—two slips, a short leg, a deep square.
But the pitch had flattened.
The boundaries came easier.
By the 32nd over, Eastern UP needed just 12 runs.
They finished the chase in the 34th.
Western UP lost.
By 4 wickets.
The Aftermath
The team was quiet.
No one spoke.
Nikhil walked over to Kabir Solanki, shook his hand, and said:
"Well played. You earned it."
Kabir nodded. "You made us fight for every run."
Back in the dressing room, Nikhil stood in front of his team.
"We lost," he said. "But we didn't break. We adapted. We fought. And we'll do it again."
He looked at Mahesh, Ravi, Siddharth, Karan.
"Losses don't define us. Responses do."
The Night Reflection
Later that night, Nikhil sat alone with Veer under the stadium lights.
He replayed Kabir's spell in his mind.
The angles. The traps. The silence.
He didn't feel defeated.
He felt sharpened.
Then he whispered to Veer:
"Next time, I'll be ready."