Chapter-1
It's not at all easy to play in your rival's home ground, in fact that is the toughest job! But SRH(Sun Risers Hyderabad) was facing it as they were playing in Bengaluru against RCB(Royal Challengers Banglore). And this already created a lot of pressure on the team.
After winning the toss RCB went to bat first and in the second innings it was SRH' s turn but the wickets were going down like in a blink of eye!
Malhar was wearing his knee pads and getting ready to go on 6th number though he prefers number 7 but today was one different case!
M(in mind): what the hell happened to all of them? Sabke dimaag mei itna pressure kyu? I guess aaj mujhe jaldi jaana padega!
And his trance got broken by another applause as they lost another wicket!
6 wickets and just 24 runs! Now only Malhar Rane could save the team and get them win the match!
He had already wore his knee pads, so just wore the helmet and gloves and took his favorite bat, headed outside!
As soon as he stepped in the ground, every SRH fan started cheering for him more loudly! As there were RCB fans more so the sounds were mixing but Malhar could see how his fans supported him at the moment
Commentator 1: lagta hai ab captain ne kamaan sambhaal li hai team ki! Malhar Rane hi bacha sakte hai SRH ko ab
Commentator 2: haa bilkul kaafi accha strike rate hai inka aur inki khaas baat yeh hai ki ye all rounder hai! Chahe batting ho, bowling ho ya wicket keeping! Sab kucch karlete hai!
Commentator 1: inko dekh ke sirf ek naam dhyaan mei aata hai Dhoni! Bilkul carbon copy hai yeh unki!
Commentator 2: yeh bator captain inka pehla IPL hai last year CSK mei the aur kaafi kucch gazab karname bhi kiye inhone! Kaafi ability hai inme pressure ke saath khelne ki
Commentator 1: jis tarah se inhone faisla liya pehle aane ka and jo yeh ab tak karte aaye hai, is pure IPL mei woh sirf MS dhoni ki yaad dilata hai! Captain cool ab Malhar bhi ban gaye hai shayad!
That's good that Malhar couldn't hear the commentators or else he would have groaned! Who loves to be compared with your idol? atleast not Malhar!
Commentator 2: haa chaliye ab ground pe dekhte hai jaha pe Abir mehrotra shuruaat se bane hue hai aur maze ki baat toh yeh hai ki Malhar aur Abir ki tunning bohot acchi hai! Kaafi acche dost bangaye hai!
Commentator 1: Abir ka toh yeh pehla IPL hai aur us angle se dekhe toh he is also doing well! Kaafi sahi strike rate hai!
Back to the ground! Malhar was on strike! But there was a two minutes break so Malhar was telling Abir to be calm!
A: cap mai already shaant hu itni der se! Ab attack karna padega nhi toh haar jayenge ham!
M: haa attack karna but hoshiyaari se! Wicket gavayenge toh kaise chalega! Ab sirf bowlers bache hai team mei aane ke liye we need to chase the score and not to get out!
A: okay captain!
Malhar smiled at the green eyed boy to which Abir smiled back!
The break was about to get over when a picture of a RCB fan flashed in front of the screen! Both Abir and Malhar looked at it!
The girl was doing a thump down to SRH but then seeing herself on the big screen, she blushed for a second and then cheered for Virat and gave a flying kiss which was supposed to be for Virat!
Malhar chuckled at the cute looking girl and got mesmerized for a second! But another moment he recovered as they have a match to play right then!
Malhar and Abir shared an amazing partnership during the whole match! And It was getting difficult for RCB to break there partnership! It was all because of that now they were near to beat RCB's score 190 and which looked an impossible task earlier!
They were in the last over now and Abir was on strike! And there was again a two minutes break! Malhar was continuously calming Abir's attacking mode so that he dont get himself out and luckily it worked!
They were all drinking water when again that girl's face flashed in the big screen and Malhar again got mesmerised.
The same girl from earlier flash was there who was just folding her hands and her eyes we're closed!
She was praying for Virat of course as her red RCB Jersey outshined the fact!
Malhar felt somewhere distracted because of the girl! But didn't let the though affect his mind!
The match again restarted! As Abir hit the ball, he ran towards Malhar's direction to take a run and Malhar also did the same! And like this they got 3 more runs on 4 balls! The score now was 186, just 4 more runs to get into the super over or a six to win! Anything was possible at the moment!
Malhar was on strike and he took a deep sigh to calm his nerves involuntarily he closed his eyes for a second and the same girl, that RCB fan flashed in front of him and he got shocked and in another moment the ball came running to him and hit the wicket indicating that Malhar was out and SRH lost the match!
RCB fans cheered loudly while Abir just went upto Malhar!
A: Cap you okay?
M: haan! Mujhe kya hona hai?
A: you looked not ready for the ball!
M:it was just.. Let's talk later about this!
They hand shaked with RCB team and both the captains were present to give there view about the match in front of the camera!
Expert: firstly congratulations Virat for the win I think that girl's prayer worked for you!
V: thank you so much! Yes I guess it did and our hard work was there as well! That girl was cute any way! Though I love all my and RCB fans as they are so special to me!
Expert: if that girl hears you right now she might get fainted!
V: ha ha they all believe in the heart throb thing but I am just yet another guy!
Malhar was standing there patiently but his mind was not at all interested in the conversation not because as it was about Virat Or RCB but because of the girl they were talking about! She had already started to mess his brain!
Expert: So Malhar SRH lost by merely five runs! What do you think went wrong?
M: first of all I think our bowling was not that strong or else it could have restrict them more and then batting was also not on the correct pace! And I totally take the responsibility of that last ball! We could have scored more if the bat had connected with the ball!
Expert: ok thankyou so much! That's the Captains of RCB and SRH!
Soon they went back to hotel and luckily or unluckily RCB and SRH were staying the same hotel but on different floors!
In Malhar' room
A: so tell me what happened in that last ball?
M: that girl is messing up with my brain..
Malhar looked worried and Abir looked shocked at what he heard!
To be continued..
Cricket
Financial markets and global economy
Ishaani
