The Vijay Merchant Trophy was over. The adrenaline had faded, replaced by the dull ache of muscle fatigue. Sai was in his room, applying an ice pack to his forearm where Deshpande had hit him.
His phone rang. It was an unfamiliar landline number. The code was 080 (Bangalore).
Sai picked it up. "Hello?"
"Is this V. Sai Krishna?" A calm, authoritative voice spoke.
"Yes, speaking."
"This is Venkatesh Prasad. I am the Chairman of the Junior Selection Committee."
Sai froze. The ice pack slipped from his hand and fell onto the carpet with a wet thud. Venkatesh Prasad.
"Sir... Good evening Sir!" Sai stammered, sitting up straight as if the man could see him.
"Relax, son," Prasad's voice was warm but professional. "I watched the reports from the Cuttack and Kolkata matches. Bharath Arun (the U-19 Coach) is very impressed with your defensive technique against reverse swing."
Sai held his breath.
"We are announcing the India U-19 Probables Squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and the Quadrangular Series in Australia. We want you in the camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore."
The words floated in the air like a dream. India U-19. The stepping stone to the Men in Blue.
"Thank you, Sir. I... I won't let you down."
"The camp starts on February 20th. Report to the NCA. And Sai?"
"Yes, Sir?"
"The fitness standards at the international level are different. You managed to bat long in Kolkata, but Bharath Arun is a taskmaster. Be ready to run."
"I will run till I drop, Sir."
The Preparation
The next ten days were a blur. Rao was ecstatic. He went to the temple three times. He bought sweets for the entire apartment complex. "My son is playing for India!" Rao told the milkman, the watchman, and his boss.
Sai, however, was in the gym. He knew what was coming. The U-19 World Cup was looming (August 2012 in Australia). The current squad was stacked with stars. Unmukt Chand (The Captain, the next Virat Kohli). Baba Aparajith (The all-rounder). Harmeet Singh (The left-arm spinner). Hanuma Vihari (His Hyderabad senior).
Sai was the junior. The 14-year-old trying to break into a team of 18 and 19-year-olds.
Date: February 20, 2012 Location: National Cricket Academy (NCA), Bangalore.
Sai stood at the gates of the Chinnaswamy Stadium complex. He was carrying his kit bag. He wore a simple white t-shirt. He walked into the reception.
"Name?" the receptionist asked.
"V. Sai Krishna. U-19 Camp."
She checked a list. "Room 304. Here is your key. And this package."
She handed him a plastic wrapped bundle. Sai opened it right there. It was the training kit. Dark Blue Jersey. Orange Stripes. And on the left chest... the BCCI Logo.
He ran his fingers over the patch. It wasn't the Hyderabad Charminar anymore. It was the Star of India.
The Locker Room Reality
Sai walked into the locker room. It was loud. Music was blasting. Boys were laughing, throwing kit bags around.
In the center of the room sat Unmukt Chand. He looked like a film star. Perfect hair, branded sunglasses, confidence radiating off him. He will write a book ("The Sky is the Limit"). He was the Alpha. Sitting next to him was Sandeep Sharma (Punjab Swing Bowler) and Akshdeep Nath.
Sai walked in quietly. Unmukt looked up. He scanned Sai. "Who is this kid? The mascot?" Unni joked.
Hanuma Vihari (Sai's Hyderabad senior) stepped forward. "This is Sai. From my state. He scored 650 runs in Vijay Merchant."
Unmukt raised an eyebrow. "Vijay Merchant? That's U-16, right? This is U-19, baby. The ball comes faster here."
Unmukt stood up and walked over to Sai. He wasn't bullying him, but he was marking his territory. "Listen, kid. We are the World Cup squad. We have been playing together for two years. If you want a spot, you have to take it from someone who is already a star. You think you can do that?"
Sai gripped his kit bag. "I don't want to take anyone's spot, Bhai," Sai said calmly. "I just want to score runs. If I score enough, the spot will come to me."
Unmukt laughed. He liked the attitude. "Fair enough. Nets in 10 minutes. Rush Kalaria is bowling today. Wear an extra thigh pad."