Bridgetown, Barbados | July 2017
As the post-series presentation wrapped up on the sun-washed turf of Kensington Oval, Virat Kohli handed over the Player of the Series medal to a man who didn't quite smile — but whose silence had the weight of a thousand cheers.
Ishaan Verma — 5 innings, 313 runs, average 62.6
111* in Antigua
17 & 59 in Jamaica
81 & 45 in Barbados
No fifties wasted. No hundreds flashy.
🟦 Scene 1: Press Box Echoes
That evening, as fans filtered out of the stands, one seat in the media box remained filled long after the match ended.
Harsha Bhogle, pen tapping his notepad, wrote without pause:
Column Title: "Not a Comeback. A Statement."
*"Ishaan Verma didn't roar. He rebuilt. Every ball was a brick. Every leave was a message.
In an era of flash and frenzy, here was a man who played each delivery like it mattered more than the innings.
This isn't redemption. This is recalibration. The bat isn't louder. The hands are steadier."*
Harsha closed his notepad, adjusted his glasses, and looked toward the Indian dressing room.
"He's back," he whispered.
🟨 Scene 2: Dressing Room Cooldown
The Indian team laughed and cheered as Kuldeep danced badly to a Punjabi song.
Jadeja sprayed cold water on Umesh.
Kohli handed a coconut shell drink to Ishaan.
"One for the monk. Not a drop spilled this whole series."
Ishaan smiled faintly. He'd showered, changed, and was now dressed in a crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled to his elbows. Clean. Still.
Rahane pulled out his phone.
"Twitter's lost it. 'India's next Dravid,' 'Wall 2.0'—all trending."
Ishaan: "They forget fast."
Kohli: "Then remind them slow. Like this."
🟧 Flashback: The Final Moments
That last evening, after Ishaan's rapid 45 had set up the declaration, he had lingered alone on the dressing room balcony.
Not because he wanted to pose.
But because he wasn't ready to move.
The wind was soft.
His bat still warm.
His mind, finally quiet.
He didn't need applause.
He needed peace.
🟪 Scene 3: Late-Night Hotel Corridor
Room 428. Royal Pavilion Suite.
Ishaan returned from the team dinner around 11:45 PM. His white earbuds dangled. A playlist from 2014—old school Dhawan, AB de Villiers—played as background noise.
He stopped at his door.
There, tucked under the brass handle, was a cream envelope.
No hotel stamp. No BCCI insignia.
Just his name, in soft cursive.
Ishaan
He looked around. Corridor empty. Silent.
✉️ The Letter
Inside the room, he sat by the small wooden desk.
The ceiling fan spun slow. The sea hummed outside.
He tore open the envelope.
A note. Handwritten.
*"I watched you rebuild. Quietly. With grace.
No screams. No spotlight.
Just the game, and the love for it.
I don't need interviews to see what you're made of.
I'm proud of you.
– E"*
He closed his eyes.
Didn't smile. Didn't cry.
Just… breathed.
This wasn't closure.
This was breath after drowning.
🟩 Scene 4: Morning Headlines
By 8 AM the next morning, every Indian sports outlet ran Ishaan's image:
🗞️ The Hindu: "Verma's Vow Delivered in Silence"
🗞️ Cricbuzz: "Series Average: 62.6 — and Zero Noise"
🗞️ Times Now: "From Scapegoat to Spine: Ishaan Verma Returns"
On social media, a fan's quote went viral under a slow-motion video of Ishaan raising his bat in Barbados:
"This is how legends begin—not with noise, but with purpose."
🟥 Scene 5: Final Bus Ride
As the Indian team bus left for the airport, Ishaan sat by the window alone.
Rain ticked on the glass. The streets of Bridgetown blurred into watercolor.
Rahul tapped him on the shoulder.
"Going to sleep, or just zoning out?"
Ishaan (softly): "Just remembering how it felt. The weight. The release."
Kohli walked past, gave him a nudge.
"You ready for what comes next?"
Ishaan: "I think I'm learning to be."
🟦 Epilogue: The Quiet Turn
Back in Mumbai, as the plane landed, no sea of paparazzi waited.
Just the usual crowd. Fans with phones.
Airport staff sneaking glances.
He was no longer the villain from The Oval.
He wasn't a messiah either.
He was something better.
Steady.
That evening, after unpacking his kitbag, Ishaan opened his old journal.
Page dated December 2016 was bookmarked—"Debut goals."
He turned to a blank page.
Date: August 1, 2017
He wrote slowly, carefully:
*"The noise is gone. The ghosts are sleeping.
What I have now is control. And silence.
Not a whisper of doubt.
Just the whisper of redemption."*