Date: May 20, 2014 Location: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium (Uppal), Hyderabad. Event: IPL Match 39 - SRH vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
The "Homecoming" was loud. 35,000 people packed the stadium. It was a sea of orange flags. When the bus entered the stadium, the chants began. "Hyderabadi! Sai! Hyderabadi!"
Sai looked out the window. His parents were in the VIP box today. VVS Laxman stood in the dressing room. "This is your fortress," Laxman told the team. "In UAE, we struggled. Here, we rule."
The Opposition: The Galacticos 2.0 RCB in 2014 was terrifying on paper. Chris Gayle. Virat Kohli (Captain). AB de Villiers. Yuvraj Singh. Mitchell Starc.
It was a team built to destroy confidence.
The Toss: Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to Bat. "Small boundaries? Good pitch? We will score 200," Kohli said, chewing his gum aggressively.
The Gayle Storm
Dale Steyn opened the bowling. Chris Gayle respected Steyn for two overs. Then, he exploded. He hit Ishant Sharma for three consecutive sixes. The ball landed in the top tier. Score: 60/0 in 6 Overs.
Captain Darren Sammy looked worried. The spinners (Karn Sharma) were getting mauled. Sammy threw the ball to Sai. "Gayle is set. Don't give him width. Cramp him."
Sai vs. The Universe Boss
Sai took the ball. The noise was deafening. He looked at Gayle. The man was a giant. He stood like a statue, bat raised high.
Over 8: Sai ran in.Target: Into the ribs / Cramp for room.
Ball 1: Sai hit the deck hard. 135 kph. The ball angled into Gayle's body. Gayle tried to free his arms but was cramped. He dabbed it to point. Dot ball.
Ball 2: Sai bowled the same line. Gayle tried to heave it over mid-wicket. The ball skidded. Inside edge onto the pads. Dot ball.
Gayle got annoyed. He didn't like being tied down by a "kid."
Ball 3: Sai saw Gayle's backlift go higher. He is going to swing. Sai decided to bowl the Knuckleball. He held the ball with his knuckles, no seam contact. Arm speed: Fast. Ball speed: 118 kph.
Gayle swung hard. He was way too early. The bat cut through the air before the ball arrived. Whoosh. The ball floated past the bat and just missed the off-stump.
Gayle stared at the pitch, then at Sai. He nodded. "Okay, mon. Good ball."
Sai conceded only 4 runs in the over. The crowd roared. A 4-run over against Gayle in the Powerplay (just after) was gold.
The Yuvraj Wicket
Gayle eventually got out to Karn Sharma. Virat Kohli was run out brilliantly by David Warner. But then walked in Yuvraj Singh. The 14 Crore Man vs. The 4.5 Crore Boy.
Over 14: Yuvraj was looking dangerous. He had just hit a six. Sai came back for his second spell.
Ball 1: Sai went round the wicket. He angled it into the left-hander. Yuvraj tried to flick. [SYSTEM: WOBBLE SEAM] The ball gripped and straightened. Leading Edge. It flew straight up. Sai called for it. "Mine! Mine!" He settled under it. He caught it.
WICKET! Yuvraj Singh c & b Sai Krishna 21.
Sai threw the ball up. He had dismissed the King of Indian cricket. SRH restricted RCB to 160/6. (A decent score, but chaseable).
The Chase
161 to Win. David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan opened. They started aggressively. 50/0 in 5 overs. Then, Mitchell Starc happened.
Starc in 2014 was lethal. He bowled 150 kph inswinging yorkers. He cleaned up Dhawan. 55/1. He trapped Warner LBW with a toe-crusher. 65/2.
The middle order panicked. Naman Ojha fell. Aaron Finch fell. Score: 100/4 in 14 Overs. Equation: 61 runs needed off 36 balls.
Sai Walks In
Sai walked in at Number 6. He joined Darren Sammy. The crowd chanted "Sai! Sai!" but the tension was thick. Mitchell Starc had 2 overs left.
The Starc Over (Over 17)
Equation: 35 runs needed off 24 balls. Starc came back. He looked angry.
Ball 1: Sai on strike. Starc steamed in. 148 kph. Yorker aimed at the toes. Sai saw the white blur. [SYSTEM ALERT: EVASIVE] He didn't try to score. He just jammed his bat down to save his feet. The ball hit the bat and rolled. Dot ball.
Ball 2: Bouncer. It was nasty. Directed at the throat. Sai swayed. Starc followed through and glared. "Hit that, boy."
Ball 3: Starc missed the yorker slightly. Low full toss. Sai didn't slog. He used the pace. He opened the face of the bat at the last second. The Steer. The ball flew past the diving gully fielder. FOUR.
Starc smiled sarcastically.
The Climax
Sammy hit a few lusty blows in the 18th over. Equation: 10 runs needed off the last over. Bowler: Varun Aaron (Pace, but erratic). Sai on strike. He was on 24 off 18 balls.
Ball 1: Aaron ran in fast. 145 kph. Short and wide. Sai slashed. [RESONANCE] Upper cut over point. SIX.
The crowd erupted. The noise was physical. It vibrated in Sai's chest. 4 runs needed off 5 balls.
Ball 2: Aaron bowled a yorker. Sai dug it out. Single. 3 off 4.
Sammy finished it next ball with a boundary.
SRH Won by 5 Wickets.
The Hero Moment
As the players shook hands, Virat Kohli walked up to Sai. Kohli was intense, even in defeat. "You bowled well to Gayle," Kohli said sharply. "Knuckleball?"
"Yes, Bhaiya."
Kohli nodded. "Keep working on it. See you in Bangalore."
Sai walked a victory lap with the team. He looked at the stands. He saw his dad waving a large SRH flag. For the first time since the auction, the 4.5 Crore price tag didn't feel heavy. It felt earned.