The Tension Before BattleThe morning trial felt heavier than all days before. The selectors' eyes were harder, pens poised to record every small detail. The murmurs about Mohith, Pavan, and Dhruva's improbable rise spread like wildfire.Arjun, dressed in gleaming whites, radiated arrogance. His father's shadow hung close by the boundary, reminding everyone of the invisible grip his influence held. Mohith, meanwhile, tightened the strap on his worn glove, resting his cracked bat against his pad.Head Selector:
"Fifteen overs a side. Performances today will weigh more than all else. Today, boys become cricketers. Or failures."The coin spun. Mohith called correctly.Mohith:
"We'll bat first."Arjun smirked from across the pitch.
Arjun:
"Perfect. I'll enjoy chasing down your scraps."Mohith said nothing. But his eyes locked with Dhruva's for a second. A silent promise passed between them.Mohith and Pavan Take the FieldOpening to a charged field, Mohith shouldered his cracked bat, Pavan at the other end tapping nervously. The opposition fielders closed around them, sneers and chuckles cutting the air.The first ball thundered in—sharp pace, full. Mohith dug it out, sending it racing down the ground for his first four. The silence that followed hinted at what was coming.Pavan looked to him, breathing heavy.
Pavan:
"You really think we can…?"Mohith (calmly):
"There's no think. Only do. Stay with me."Overs 1–5: The FoundationThe first five overs were a storm of nerves and resolve. Mohith took charge, blasting drives, hooks, and pulls. By the end of the 3rd over, he already had 26.
Pavan began slowly, scratching singles, but Mohith didn't complain. Where Mohith struck fire, Pavan built ice.Selectors whispered in their pavilion seats.Head Selector (murmur):
"Raw, reckless. If it fails, he's nothing."But the younger selector smirked.
Selector 2:
"And if it doesn't fail, he's unstoppable."By the first powerplay five overs, Mohith stood at 38(21), Pavan at 12(19). Team 50/0.Overs 6–10: Mohith's Blaze, Pavan's GrowthThe 7th over brought the moment. The bowler pitched short outside off—Mohith pivoted into a colossal pull. Crack! The ball flew over the midwicket rope, bouncing out of the academy fence. The crowd roared.With every ball, Mohith's aggression rose—but what caught more eyes was Pavan. Initially timid, he began leaning confidently on his drives, holding his ground. In the 9th over, he lofted a cover shot for four that drew surprised gasps from former doubters.From the dugouts, one elite academy boy muttered:
"Since when did he have shots like that?"By the 10th over: Mohith 79(45), Pavan 35(30). Score 126/0.**
The selectors leaned closer.Overs 11–13: The Roar of a CenturyThe opposition bowlers tried everything: slower balls, yorkers, bouncers. Mohith answered with contemptuous strokes each time. His cracked bat, once mocked, now sang like steel.The 11th over: six over extra cover.
The 12th: a whip through midwicket to the fence.
And then, in the 13th over—on his 59th delivery—he cut ferociously past point for two runs.The ground erupted as Mohith raised his bat high. Century! 100 off 59 balls.Some scouts stood on their feet, clapping despite themselves. Even the head selector, expression unchanging, scribbled something urgent into his clipboard.Then Pavan too found his moment. A flick square to the boundary brought him his fifty (50 off 42 balls).
He exhaled, relief flooding his face, as Mohith patted his shoulder.Mohith (whispering):
"See? Fire needs an anchor. We do it together."By 13 overs: Mohith 101, Pavan 52, Score 172/0.Overs 14–15: The FinishThe final overs spilled with fireworks. Mohith launched two more sixes, bringing his tally to 114 before holing out to deep mid-off. The crowd roared as he walked back, cracked bat raised high.Pavan carried the rest, rotating, running fiercely. He finished unbeaten on 58*. Dhruva chipped in with a cheeky boundary on the last ball.Final Score: 198/2 in 15 overs.Mohith: 114(64), 9 fours, 6 sixesPavan: 58*(46), 4 foursDhruva: 8*(5)A total that stunned everyone.Arjun's ChaseArjun marched to the crease like thunder, teammates rallying behind him. He was furious, desperate to reclaim pride. The ground hushed. Mohith lingered at mid-off, staring, veins thudding with adrenaline.Mohith turned to Dhruva, placing the ball in his hand.Mohith (firm):
"First over is yours. End it before it begins."Dhruva's eyes widened.
Dhruva:
"Me? First… against Arjun?"Mohith (burning):
"Yes. No one else can write this story."Dhruva swallowed, nodded, and began his run-up.Golden DuckFirst delivery: Dhruva tossed it high, drift curling deceptively under the morning breeze.Arjun strode forward confidently, swinging his polished bat in a destructive arc.But the ball bit the turf, spun violently across. His timing betrayed him. Edge—thick and sharp—flew to slip.Pavan, calm anchor, steady hands—caught it clean.Gasps erupted from everywhere. The child prodigy, the academy's golden boy, dismissed first ball. Arjun—Golden Duck.Dhruva stood frozen, disbelief in his eyes. Pavan leapt into the air, fist pumping. Mohith sprinted in, gripping Dhruva's shoulders tight.Mohith (shouting):
"You did it! You silenced their empire in one ball!"The academy ground trembled with the noise. Arjun's bat lay on the ground as he stormed off, fury boiling, face burning red.Collapse of Arjun's TeamWith their king dethroned before a single run, the rest of Arjun's team fell like dominoes. Dhruva threaded his spell—flights, dips, ripping spin that confused and trapped. Mohith's field placements were precise, his shouts firing his team up.Every catch was dived for, every single contested. Pavan screamed encouragement in the field, his calmness from batting still anchoring the team's soul.Wickets tumbled—one bowled through Dhruva's drift, two run-outs from Mohith's aggressive fielding. Panic spread in Arjun's camp.By the 7th over, the scoreboard was shattering: 48/5.
By the 12th, they were gone—89 all out.The AftermathThe silence after the last wicket was louder than a thousand voices. Then, as realization struck, the academy ground erupted into sheer chaos. Boys who had mocked Mohith's bat were now chanting his name. Teammates hoisted him onto shoulders. Pavan grinned like never before. Dhruva, still speechless, was drowning in chants of "Dhru-va! Dhru-va!"From the pavilion, the younger selector nearly shouted in triumph.
Selector 2:
"There! You cannot deny them now. Look at the board!"Even the head selector leaned back, exhaling heavily.
Head Selector:
"Raw. Broken edges. But undeniably brilliant. They may just be the future…"Arjun, meanwhile, punched the locker room wall until his knuckles bled. His father's face was grim, lips thin. For the first time, Arjun had been publicly broken.Closing SceneMohith, standing at the center of the ground, raised his cracked bat to the sky as his team gathered around him. His voice was quiet, steady, but every ear heard it.Mohith:
"Today, we showed them that cricket doesn't belong to those with money or power. It belongs to those who won't bow. This… is just the beginning."The camera froze on his determined eyes, then cut to black.Title Card:
"Next Time: The Names on the Final List"