Abhay took strike in the sixth over.
The bowler wiped his hand on his trousers and ran in.
Ball 1: The bowler pitched it up slightly, aiming for a good length. Abhay loosened his grip just a fraction, stepped forward, and swung through the line. The bat came down cleanly, the ball flying straight into the back of the net.
Six.
Ball 2: The bowler tried again, a touch shorter this time. Abhay rocked back and pulled with control, keeping it along the ground. It raced away to the boundary.
Four.
Ball 3: A fuller delivery on middle. Abhay leaned into it and drove, timing it sweetly. The ball pierced the gap and rolled away.
Four.
Ball 4: The bowler adjusted his line, pushing it wider. Abhay stayed patient, met it with a straight bat, and played it safely back.
Dot ball.
Ball 5: Another good-length delivery. Abhay waited, opened the face slightly, and guided it into space. He called quickly and ran hard.
Two runs.
Ball 6: The bowler tried to surprise him with pace but Abhay was ready. He cleared his front leg and swung freely, sending the ball high and deep.
Six.
Seventh Over
The strike rotated, and the other batsman took guard.
Ball 1: Dot ball.
Ball 2: Single run.
Ball 3: Single run.
Ball 4: Single run.
Ball 5: Six.
Ball 6: Single run.
The over ended with steady accumulation.
[RED TEAM 72/2]
Eighth Over
Abhay was back on strike.
The bowler looked slightly nervous now.
Ball 1: A cautious delivery on a good length. Abhay chose not to force it and defended calmly.
Dot ball.
Ball 2: Fuller this time. Abhay drove softly, placing it well, and ran hard.
Two runs.
Ball 3: The bowler missed his length. Abhay stepped forward and drove through the covers.
Four.
Ball 4: Similar length and same result.
Four.
Ball 5: The bowler went shorter. Abhay rocked back and punched it square.
Four.
Ball 6: A desperate attempt at variation but Abhay stayed balanced and flicked it neatly.
Four.
[RED TEAM 98/2]
[ABHAY 48 (15)]
Ninth Over
The other batsman took strike.
Ball 1: Four.
Ball 2: Two runs.
Ball 3: Single.
Strike rotated and Abhay tapped his bat once.
Ball 4: The bowler tried to go full. Abhay stepped into it and swung cleanly.
Six.
Half-century complete.
Ball 5: The bowler looked rattled and went shorter. Abhay pulled hard, sending it flat into the net.
Six.
Ball 6: Another mistake in length. Abhay punished it again.
Six.
[RED TEAM 123/2]
[ABHAY 66 (18)]
Tenth Over
The other batsman faced the first ball.
Ball 1: Single.
Abhay was back on strike for the final stretch.
Ball 2: The bowler pitched it up but Abhay drove confidently.
Four.
Ball 3: A similar delivery. Abhay repeated the shot, just as clean.
Four.
Ball 4: The bowler tried pace. Abhay cleared his front leg and hit straight.
Six.
Ball 5: A tired length ball. Abhay stayed still and punched it through the gap.
Four.
Ball 6: Last ball of the innings. The bowler ran in and missed his yorker.
Abhay swung freely.
Six.
[RED TEAM 148/2]
[ABHAY 90 (23)]
The first innings came to an end and Abhay had created a mountain of a score for the under-12 kids.
Abhay removed his helmet, a wide smile spreading across his face.
He hadn't really cared about how many runs he was scoring. From the moment he walked in, he had been too happy just to play again. So he had batted freely, following his instincts, not once keeping track of the scoreboard.
When he finally glanced up and saw the numbers, his smile widened even more.
90 runs off 23 balls.
For a brief moment, the happiness surged again, but just as quickly, he calmed himself.
This had happened because the Under-12 bowlers were simply too easy for him at this stage. His skills played a role, yes, but so did his body. Years of careful training and conditioning had left him far ahead of most ten or eleven-year-olds. With shorter boundaries, better strength, and refined technique, scoring heavily was almost inevitable.
Still… it felt good.
Very good.
He turned to his non-striker and bumped gloves with him. Abhay didn't really remember the boy's name, but courtesy mattered. Cricket etiquette mattered.
Together, they walked off the pitch.
As he crossed the boundary, Abhay raised his bat briefly toward the small crowd. Applause greeted him, parents, uncles, and a few curious onlookers clapping enthusiastically.
Scanning the boundary, Abhay spotted his mother, his sister, his brother, and his dadi. His eyes widened slightly when he noticed Aryan standing there as well.
His smile bloomed.
He waved his bat in their direction, and they responded instantly, smiling, clapping wildly, his dadi even raising her hands in pride.
When he reached them, he was immediately surrounded. Hands ruffled his hair, patted his back, and praised him from all sides. Abhay just smiled through it, letting it happen.
His innings had practically decided the match.
For kids this age, hitting boundaries consistently, even with shorter boundaries was extremely difficult. Their bodies simply didn't have that kind of strength yet. With such a steep target, the result was almost inevitable.
And that was exactly what happened.
The Blue team came in to bat and lost their first wicket quickly, going down for just 4 runs. Their captain tried his best to hold things together, but wickets kept falling at regular intervals.
By the end of the sixth over, the scoreboard read:
[BLUE TEAM 38/5]
Abhay was brought on to bowl the seventh over.
He kept it simple.
Good length, controlled pace and no unnecessary risks.
He picked up 1 wicket and conceded just 3 runs, tightening the pressure further.
The rest of the innings collapsed soon after.
When the final wicket fell, the Blue team were all out for 60 runs. Their captain remained unbeaten, having played the highest knock of the innings with 36*.
The match was over.
Red team had won comfortably.
Abhay stood near the boundary, watching quietly without much celebrations or jumping around, just a calm satisfaction settling in.
He had played again and that was all that mattered.
~
The Red team players huddled together briefly near the boundary, sharing a short celebration but it didn't last long. With many more matches scheduled for the day, the coaches quickly ushered them off the field.
There were no Man of the Match trophies or ceremonies for the weekly matches. Those were reserved for the monthly fixtures, so there was no reason to linger or waste time.
The Under-12 players were sent off soon after, and the small crowd began to disperse. Some families chose to stay back and watch the other matches, but most packed up and left.
The Khanna family decided to head home as well.
Abhay met them just outside the academy gates, and before he could say anything, his dadi pulled him into a tight embrace, showering him with kisses. He laughed softly, letting it happen.
His brother ruffled his hair with an easy grin, while his sister hugged him tightly and praised him without holding back. His mother leaned down, kissed him on the cheek, and said warmly, "Good job, my lazy tiger."
Abhay then spotted Aryan.
His smile widened instantly.
He walked over and hugged him tightly. "You came, Aru!"
Aryan chuckled, trying, and failing, to look mature. "Of course," he said. "It was your first real match. I had to come."
Abhay didn't reply. He just smiled.
His family was his biggest support in the world, and Aryan, his cousin and best friend, stood above them all. Even in his last life, Aryan had come to most of his matches. When the accident happened, Aryan had been the one who stayed.
None of his cricket friends had come except for one.
They had called themselves friends, but in the end, they were rivals first. Seeing Abhay out of the game meant more opportunities for them. Even if they never admitted it, they had been relieved.
Only Aryan had stood by him through everything.
The driver soon brought around their Scorpio, and the family settled in as they headed home.
During the ride, Abhay quietly opened his system and checked his status. The changes made him smile.
[BATTING: 20% (18>>20)]
[BOWLING: 19% (18>>19)]
[FIELDING: 21%]
Just one small match had increased his batting by 2% and his bowling by 1%.
Fielding hadn't increased, but that was understandable. He hadn't done much in the field today. With hardly any balls coming his way, even spending nine overs on the field wasn't enough to gain experience there.
He knew this rapid growth wouldn't last forever. It would slow once he caught up to his previous experience level as an Under-14 player.
But for now?
This was more than enough. This had been just the first match and many more would come.
And this time, he would definitely play cricket for India.
~~~
Nine months passed quickly.
From his very first match, Abhay had firmly established his place in the Under-12 category. His performances in the two monthly matches that followed only reinforced that position. He wasn't just contributing, he was standing out.
Rajkumar Sharma noticed and he didn't wait long.
After observing Abhay across multiple sessions and matches, Rajkumar made a prompt decision to push him up and have him train and play with the Under-14 batch.
Abhay couldn't have been happier.
For him, greater challenge meant faster growth. And as it turned out, his theory was absolutely correct.
The Under-14 players were noticeably bigger and stronger. Their bowling had more pace, their throws carried more power, and their bodies had already begun changing. While Abhay's technique was clearly superior, the others held a definite advantage in raw strength.
Instead of being discouraged, Abhay embraced it.
When he couldn't muscle the ball through the field, he relied on timing, meeting the ball early, using the full face of the bat, and driving it cleanly into gaps. When boundaries weren't available, he ran harder, sharper, stealing quick singles and turning ones into twos before the fielders could react.
Against the faster bowlers, he began using innovation.
If they bowled short, he used the pace. If they bowled full, he got under the ball. He even began experimenting with unorthodox shots, most notably the Dilscoop, using the bowler's pace to lift the ball over the keeper for a boundary or a six.
He still remembered the first time he played it.
For a moment, everything stopped.
Indian cricket at this level was still dominated by ideals shaped by players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, solid technique, classical shots. Even someone like Sehwag, for all his aggression, relied heavily on raw power rather than innovation.
Shots like this were considered reckless. Almost… monkey shots.
So when Abhay executed one cleanly, the reaction was immediate, surprise, murmurs, and a few disapproving looks.
Abhay only smiled.
After his injury in his last life, he had studied cricket obsessively, technique, match situations, modern shots, and the theory behind them. Now that he could finally play again, he wasn't going to limit himself. For someone with a smaller frame facing bigger opponents, these shots weren't reckless, they were practical and they worked.
His ability to perform comfortably despite the physical disadvantage earned him a regular spot in the Under-14 monthly matches squad, where he quickly proved he belonged.
These matches were played over 40 overs, giving Abhay the space to settle in and build innings. It was here that his suitability for the No.4 position became clear. He could absorb pressure early, rotate strike through the middle overs, and accelerate when required. With the ball, he was used as part of the main bowling unit, trusted to bowl controlled spells rather than just fill overs.
Thanks to Sustained Match Presence, he rarely felt drained, even late into matches. While others began to slow down, his focus remained steady. More than once, he found himself quietly appreciating just how valuable skills like these truly were.
By the end of nine months of training and match play, his progress was clearly reflected in his attributes.
[Batting: 25% (20>>25)]
[Bowling: 25% (19>>25)]
[Fielding: 30% (26>>30)]
[Captaincy: 19% (16>>19)]
Fielding had already reached the Under-16 threshold, a testament to the foundation he had built early on. Batting and bowling were catching up steadily.
Captaincy, however, lagged slightly.
That wasn't surprising.
While Abhay had read extensively about tactics, field placements, and match management, boosting his understanding, he hadn't actually captained a side yet. The Under-14 batch included players who had already represented Delhi at junior levels, and leadership roles weren't handed out easily.
For now, all he could do was wait and keep performing.
He didn't mind.
After all, he had learned one thing very clearly by now, opportunity always came to those who stayed ready.
~~~~~
{How was the match? I only made ball by ball narrations only this once, in later matches the matches would be a mix of summaries and ball by ball narration, atleast until he reaches a stage where commentary is involved, then I'll write that too.}
{Also, as I said before, I won't be making him lose purposely when he has way above skills than his peers, that would be foolish, but he won't be hitting centuries in every match either. I know cricket is a team sport, but in early stages he could easily carry the entire team on his own, so there is no meaning in making him lose for the plot.}