The morning after the opening-night victory against the Rajasthan Royals, the atmosphere within the Sunrisers Hyderabad camp was calm. There was no excessive celebration or lingering arrogance. The win was treated not as a milestone, but as the expected standard.
Siddanth Deva sat in the dining room of the team hotel in Banjara Hills. He was eating a breakfast of scrambled egg whites and black coffee. The television screen on the wall was muted, showing highlights of Umran Malik's 154 kmph deliveries breaking the stumps.
The phone beside his coffee cup vibrated.
Deva answered.
"Morning, Arjun."
"The ITT is officially live, Sid," Arjun's voice came through the speaker. There was no casual greeting. The CEO of Nexus Corporation was already deep into work. "The Board of Control for Cricket in India just released the Invitation to Tender for the IPL Media Rights for the 2023-2027 cycle."
Deva set his coffee down, his posture changing. The athlete disappeared; the industrialist took over.
"Have you reviewed the package structures?"
"I've spent the last three hours going through the executive summary," Arjun confirmed, the sound of a keyboard in the background. "They've split it. Package A is the television broadcast rights for the Indian subcontinent. Package B is the exclusive digital streaming rights for the subcontinent. There are a few smaller global packages, but A and B are the main targets."
"Disney and Viacom18 will go to war for Package A," Deva said. "Television is the traditional anchor of their networks. Sony might form a consortium with Zee to challenge them. Let them spend their money fighting for the living room."
"Exactly," Arjun said. "Television viewership is plateauing, Sid. Smartphone penetration in India is rising. Data is cheaper here than almost anywhere. The modern consumer doesn't want to be tied to a couch at 8:00 PM. They want to watch the match while commuting, working, or sitting in a cafe."
"We target Package B," Deva stated.
"We don't just target it, Sid. We monopolize it," Arjun replied. "Our streaming platform, Nexus Play, currently has a customer acquisition cost of roughly one hundred and fifty rupees per user. If we secure the exclusive digital rights to the IPL, we instantly gain access to over three hundred million active users. The acquisition cost drops dramatically. We control the advertising inventory, the metadata, and the gateway to digital entertainment in Asia."
"The server architecture?" Deva asked.
"Stress-tested and ready," Arjun replied. "We built the server farms for the Nexus Sports League."
"The competition will be fierce, Arjun. Reliance will bid aggressively through JioCinema. Amazon and Facebook have been interested in sports rights for years. They have enormous capital."
"They have capital. We have synergy," Arjun countered. "We manufacture the smartphones they watch it on, we build the operating system that runs the app, and we own the servers holding the data. But the valuation is going to be high. To guarantee Package B and push the competition aside, we have to open the war chest."
"What is the threshold?"
There was a pause.
"Twenty thousand crores," Arjun said. "Roughly two and a half billion dollars. And that's the conservative estimate. It could breach twenty-four thousand."
Deva didn't react to the number. He looked out through the dining room windows at the morning traffic of Hyderabad.
"Authorize the liquidity transfers," Deva instructed. "Assemble the acquisitions board. Run the valuation models to their limits. I want Package B, Arjun. We are going to buy the internet."
"Understood, Sid. I'll initiate the modeling protocols today and prepare the sealed bid."
"Keep me updated."
Deva ended the call.
He picked up his coffee and took a slow sip. The Nexus empire was beginning another corporate campaign.
But Deva mentally filed the matter away. The IPL season demanded his attention.
The two-month marathon was only beginning.
Over the next two weeks, Sunrisers Hyderabad transformed from a new roster into a coordinated unit.
The tournament was physically demanding, but the momentum carried them.
Against the newly formed Lucknow Super Giants, the match became a tactical contest. Facing a strong pace attack, the SRH top order worked hard to build a total. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and T. Natarajan then executed their plans at the death, using yorkers to defend the total and secure a win.
Days later, they faced MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings. Deva recognized CSK's reliance on spin in the middle overs and bought Kuldeep to disrupt their plans. Yuzvendra Chahal was used to put pressure on the Chennai middle order. SRH chased the target and won.
The winning streak pushed them to the top of the table. The team was playing with confidence.
MATCH 4: SUNRISERS HYDERABAD vs GUJARAT TITANS
The DY Patil Stadium was lit under the floodlights. The stands were packed.
This was more than another fixture. Gujarat Titans were the newest franchise, led by Hardik Pandya. More importantly, two players at the center of their squad had been part of Sunrisers' previous successes.
Shubman Gill and Rashid Khan.
During the warm-ups, the interactions were friendly. Deva shared a hug with Gill, the player he had helped develop. He joked with Rashid, the spinner who had won SRH many matches.
But once the players went for the toss, the rivalry returned.
Deva won the toss and chose to bowl, backing his pace attack on the fresh evening pitch.
The Gujarat innings began with Gill opening the batting.
When Bhuvneshwar Kumar pitched up, Gill leaned into a cover drive that raced away.
"He's picking the length early," Bhuvneshwar said.
"Bowl slightly back of a length," Deva instructed from mid-off. "Don't let him drive. Force him to hit square."
The adjustment worked, slowing the scoring. But Hardik Pandya arrived and attacked the pace.
He took on Umran Malik, using the 150 kmph delivery to ramp the ball over the keeper.
The SRH bowlers responded at the death. T. Natarajan delivered his yorkers, while Chahal deceived David Miller with a flighted leg-break.
After twenty overs, Gujarat Titans finished on 167 for 7.
It was a challenging total on a pitch that was beginning to slow down.
The SRH chase began with David Warner and Abhishek Sharma.
Warner immediately attacked Mohammed Shami, pulling him over mid-wicket.
But the Titans' attack responded. Shami found movement and caught the outside edge of Abhishek's bat in the third over.
Kane Williamson came in and joined Warner. They moved the score to 65 for 1 by the end of the powerplay.
Then Hardik Pandya introduced his main weapon.
Rashid Khan took the ball.
The Afghan spinner knew the SRH batsmen well. He bowled quickly and flat, giving them little time to react. A skidding googly trapped Kane Williamson in front.
In the next over, Lockie Ferguson bowled at pace. A 152 kmph bouncer hurried Warner. Warner attempted the hook, but the ball took the top edge and landed with the keeper.
Heinrich Klaasen followed, caught by a slower delivery from Hardik Pandya.
The momentum shifted.
The SRH dressing room fell quiet as Rashid and Ferguson controlled the middle overs.
The scoreboard showed:
SRH: 116 for 4.
Overs: 14.4
Sunrisers needed 52 runs from 32 balls.
David Miller stood at the non-striker's end on 15.
Siddanth Deva walked out of the dugout.
"And here comes the captain," Harsha Bhogle said on the broadcast. "Fifty-two needed from thirty-two. The required rate is near ten. Rashid Khan has one over left. Lockie Ferguson has two. This is going to be a battle of titans."
Deva reached the crease.
He tapped the pitch mapping the field. Hardik had pushed the boundary riders deep on the leg side to defend the pull against Ferguson's pace.
Lockie Ferguson stood at the top of his mark, ready to bowl the fifth ball of the 15th over.
He ran in and delivered at 148 kmph, targeting Deva's ribs.
Deva stepped inside the line, dropped his wrists, and played the ball softly to the leg side.
Dot ball.
On the final ball, Deva pushed a length delivery to deep cover for a single.
Equation: 51 runs from 30 balls.
Deva was 1 off 2.
Hardik gave the ball to Rashid for the 16th over.
Rashid ran in and fired a 98 kmph leg-break.
Deva read the spin from the hand, stepped out, and pushed the ball to long-on for one.
Miller took a single.
Rashid tried the googly.
Deva picked it instantly. He waited deep in his crease, opened his hips, and played an inside-out lofted drive over extra cover.
Four runs.
"Shot of a master!" Ian Smith said. "He picks the wrong'un like he's reading a large-print book. That is glorious timing."
Deva took another single.
Lockie Ferguson returned for the 17th over.
"Pace is up, Sid," Miller noted. "He's hunting for the blockhole."
"Let him hunt," Deva replied. "If he misses, we make him pay."
Ferguson fired a 151 kmph yorker.
Deva dug it out for one.
Miller took one.
Ferguson then tried a slower bouncer. Deva read the change of pace and pulled it into the deep mid-wicket stands for six.
The crowd erupted.
Ferguson responded with a full delivery outside off.
Deva slashed it backward of point for two, then took a single to long-off.
Equation: 25 runs from 18 balls.
Deva was 17 off 9.
Mohammed Shami bowled the 18th over.
He hit a good length, giving away three singles from the first three balls.
Deva faced the fourth.
Shami drifted onto the pads.
Deva flicked his wrists, sending the ball over fine leg for six.
Shami responded with a wide yorker. Deva squeezed it to deep point for one.
Equation: 14 runs from 12 balls.
Deva was 25 off 13.
The match had shifted toward SRH.
Lockie Ferguson was handed the 19th over.
He ran in with his fastest delivery of the night—153 kmph, aimed at the base of middle stump.
Deva moved across his off-stump, dropped to one knee, and used the pace to play a lap-sweep.
The ball went over the short fine-leg fielder and reached the boundary.
"He is playing a different game to everyone else!" Harsha Bhogle shouted. "To execute a lap sweep against a ball traveling at 153 kilometers an hour requires extraordinary reflexes!"
Ferguson bowled short next.
Deva rolled his wrists, pulling it to deep square leg for one.
Miller took one.
With 8 runs required, Ferguson attempted an off-cutter.
Deva saw the fingers roll over the seam. He waited and punched the ball straight past the bowler.
It raced down the ground, beating long-off.
Four runs.
4 runs needed from 8 balls.
Ferguson stood at the top of his mark.
He ran in and bowled a full delivery on the pads.
Deva clipped it into the gap between deep mid-wicket and deep square leg.
The ball reached the boundary.
The match was over.
Deva held his pose for a moment before lowering the bat.
He finished unbeaten on 31 runs off 17 balls.
Sunrisers Hyderabad won by 6 wickets, with seven balls remaining.
The SRH dugout spilled onto the field. Deva removed his helmet and smiled as David Miller walked over and hugged him.
As the teams met for the handshakes, the tension of the match disappeared.
Hardik Pandya walked over with a smile despite the loss and hugged Deva.
"You are impossible to bowl to in the death overs, Sid bhai. I pushed the fielders back, and you just lapped it over their heads."
"Lockie bowled well, Hardik," Deva smiled, clapping him on the back. "You guys put up a good fight. Keep the momentum going."
Shubman Gill approached and offered Deva a nod before embracing him.
"I thought we had enough on the board when Rashid got Kane, skip."
"You batted beautifully, Shubman," Deva told him. "That cover drive in the third over was flawless. Keep dominating the powerplay."
Finally, Rashid Khan walked over, shaking his head.
"I tried the googly, I tried the slider... you read everything from the hand today, Sid bhai."
"I spent five years watching you bowl in the nets, Rashid," Deva chuckled, bumping fists with him. "I know your tricks. But you're still the best in the world."
The rivalry lasted three hours. The friendship remained.
Deva walked from the pitch, acknowledging the crowd with a wave of his bat.
Sunrisers Hyderabad were at the top of the table. The squad was settling into its new identity, and their plans were working.