God of Cricket!-Chapter 41: Super Sub
Chapter 41: Super Sub
Aryan was woken up by his mum when it was getting to 11:00 AM. 29Aryan stood up, washed his face with cold water before heading downstairs with his heavy cricket coffin. 30
He sat in the car quietly as Priya drove to the Wankhede Stadium complex. 31
"Aryan," Priya said after they had reached the location. "I’m very proud of you, and I’m sure your dad would be proud too." 32
Aryan sat there listening as he tried to remember his father’s face from memory but struggled. 33
"Go out there and play your heart out, Aryan, and know that no matter what happens, we’re there for you," Priya added. 34
Aryan looked at his mum and smiled before she kissed him on the forehead. 35Aryan got out of the car and walked to the complex entrance. 36
He saw some of the ground staff preparing the pitch before he went inside to change. 37After changing into his training kit, Aryan came out with a ball to do his own targeted wrist exercises. 38
The Coach had told them to take it easy with their training. 39After a while, most of the players arrived, and the warm-up session started. 40
The drills were relatively light today as no one wanted an injury ahead of a high-voltage game against Delhi. 41
After the training session, the players went to wash up before joining the coach in the tactical room for the briefing. 42The players sat there as Coach Praveen Amre explained their roles to them. 43
After about 30 minutes, the playing XI and the substitutes list for the match were put on the board, and Aryan walked towards it. 44
Aryan stopped in front of the board and inspected the sheet. 45
Format: One Day (Vijay Hazare Trophy)
Playing XI:
Wasim Jaffer (C)
Ajinkya Rahane
Rohit Sharma
Amol Muzumdar
Abhishek Nayar
Aditya Tare (WK)
Ajit Agarkar
Ramesh Powar
Dhawal Kulkarni
Zaheer Khan
Avishkar Salvi
Substitutes / 12th Man:
Sushant Marathe
Iqbal Abdulla
Aryan Sharma (Super Sub) 46
(Note: The Super Sub rule was an experimental ODI rule used around 2005-06, allowed in domestic cricket for a period. Aryan is designated as the Super Sub).
Aryan stood there staring at the word ’Super Sub’ next to his name, and when he saw it, Aryan couldn’t help but smile. 47
"Welcome to the big league, brother," Rohit Sharma, one of the rising youngsters on the team, said. 48
Aryan turned around and gave him a nod. Dhawal Kulkarni and Abhishek Nayar, who were both established figures, also came to Aryan and started making small talk. 49
The players, after this, packed their bags and started heading towards the main dressing room inside the stadium. 50
Since they were already at Wankhede, there was no bus ride, but they moved from the indoor academy to the main pavilion. Aryan walked with Rohit Sharma and really regretted his decision as Rohit couldn’t stop cracking jokes in Mumbaiya slang. 51
Aryan didn’t know if it was because he was nervous or if that was just Rohit’s nature. 52Aryan put on his earbuds as they walked through the tunnel. 53Rohit, who saw this, felt a bit ignored but kept smiling. 54
The players entered the main locker room. 55After changing into their match whites (colored clothing for One Dayers—Mumbai wore Lion Yellow/Blue), they went out for the final warm-up. 56
Aryan, after he got onto the pitch, started looking around to see if he could find his mother and sister. 57He had memorized the seat number and VIP box section, so he quickly found them. 58
He waved at them as they were near the pavilion balcony. 59Priya and Riya, who saw this, also waved back, drawing a bit of stares to themselves. 60
"Wow, you know one of the players?" one of the Mumbai fans said to Priya. 61
"Yes, he’s my son," Priya replied proudly. 62
"Oh, then we wish him good luck," the fan added before minding his own business again. 63
The players were called back to the locker room. Aryan, after he got there this time, saw the jerseys hanging in each player’s slot. 64
He was a new player, and therefore he had inherited a vacant spot. 65Aryan stood there stunned as he saw his name on the Mumbai jersey. 66
Aryan had been assigned the number 22, since it was one of the free numbers no one was using. 67 Aryan knew Coach Kulkarni had a hand in him getting this number because mostly, debutants got high numbers like 45 or 99. 68
Aryan smiled as he looked at Coach Kulkarni, who was busy with the Manager, Chandrakant Pandit. 69
"Ok guys, starters to the field for the anthem, substitutes to the dugout."
Aryan took his cap, his bottle, and a bat, and started walking towards the dugout. 70
He looked at the kit once more and his name at the back which said [A. SHARMA].
Aryan walked out of the locker room and headed towards the boundary line. Aryan was wowed by the fans this time. 71
The stadium was buzzing with sounds as the fans continued to blow horns and chant "Mumbai! Mumbai!" 72
Aryan was loving the atmosphere and the noise. 73 The stadium hadn’t been filled that much when they came for the warm-ups, but now it had been filled significantly.
The attendance was shown on the giant screen. 28,782 out of the capacity had been occupied. Aryan smiled before finding his seat on the bench. 74
The starting teams of both sides came out and lined up as the pleasantries began. 75 The national anthem sounded, and the players shook hands before the umpires walked out with the new white balls.
"Let’s Play!" called the umpire. 76
[COMMENTATOR POV]
’Namaskar and welcome to the Wankhede Stadium for this high-voltage Vijay Hazare Trophy match between Mumbai and Delhi. 77My name is Harsha Bhogle, and I’m joined by Sunil Gavaskar in the commentary box for this clash of titans.’ 78
After the commentators finished with the lineups, the match started. 79
Mumbai won the toss and elected to field.
The Delhi team were on fire, firing from all cylinders in the first 10 overs. 80Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir controlled the game relentlessly and tried to make it count right from the start. 81
The defense—or rather, bowling—of the Mumbai team, however, was solid. Zaheer Khan was doing a good job alongside Ajit Agarkar. 82
After a while, the match balanced out as Mumbai settled into the game, taking a few wickets. 83
In the second innings, Mumbai batted. They got control of the chase—and tried an attack of their own but were thwarted by the opponents.
The first real chance of the game came in the 22nd over when Rohit Sharma sent a lofted drive straight down the ground, but it was cut off by a spectacular fielding effort. 84
The fans who were ready to celebrate could not help but sigh and shake their heads disappointingly. 85
A few overs later, Amol Muzumdar made a short pass—I mean, a quick single—to Abhishek Nayar, who smashed a six after seeing the ball in his slot. 86
His shot was met with a well-timed finish from the bat. 87The fielder tried to reach it but could only watch as the ball sank into the stands. 88
Aryan raised his fists on the bench as the Mumbai players celebrated. 89
Rohit and Nayar were doing well. 90Aryan knew he could perform at this level, but at the same time, he was nervous and a bit scared. 91
He shook the useless thoughts out of his head and focused on the match, trying to study the Delhi bowlers from the sidelines. 92
The match continued, and the momentum was with the Mumbai side. 93They wanted to capitalize on their momentum; however, as hard as they tried, they couldn’t run away with the game. 94
The Delhi bowlers, led by Ishant Sharma, started pressing high—bowling aggressive bouncers. 95 This tactic could rather help them or destroy them as Mumbai players could start playing the pull shot.
The Mumbai players kept playing steady. 96
Aryan looked on as the opponents defended the total relentlessly. The chase was entering the critical phase. Delhi wanted to take wickets before the death overs. 97
Their prayers were heard when Ajinkya Rahane, the Mumbai opener, made a bad call for a run. 98
Virat Kohli (playing for Delhi) being fast enough got to the ball before Rahane could reach the crease. 99
Rahane had already anticipated a run-out due to a bad feeling and had tried to dive. 100
Kohli, with a nice pick-up, flicked it to the stumps.
Direct Hit!
Rahane was short. 101
The blunder he had just made had cost his team a set batsman. 102
The Delhi traveling fans (and players) erupted into shouts and cheers. 103 Their team had just equalized the momentum.
Aryan couldn’t help but shake his head. 104
Coach Amre stood there poker-faced like he cared less about the match, though internally he was calculating.
The match entered the final 10 overs. 105
Aryan stood up and followed the other guys to warm up on the sidelines to try and get a feel for the match conditions. 106
After a few minutes, Coach Amre clapped his hands to get their attention. 107
"Okay guys, we fought well, but we should not have lost Rahane. I know the call was tight, but we need someone to finish this game." 108
Coach Amre talked about the required run rate. 109
The players sat there for a bit. 110Some were making conversations while others were just drinking water. 111
After some time, Coach Amre made a decision. 112
"Aryan, warm up. I’m activating the Super Sub."
Aryan stood up and walked to the boundary line. 113
He knew he wouldn’t get subbed in early, but now the team needed acceleration.
The match continued. 114
The Delhi players were rejuvenated after the wicket as they fielded nicely. 115There were no unnecessary misfields that would give away runs to the opponents, and this made the match a bit difficult for the Mumbai side. 116
The match was full of tension as neither side relented, and the fans were having the time of their lives even though the match was tight. 117
In the 42nd over, the wickets began to tumble. 118
Mumbai lost Abhishek Nayar and Aditya Tare in quick succession.
Delhi was on top.
Coach Amre looked on as the match continued. 119
He was itching to play his trump card, and as if sensing it, Coach Amre approached Aryan and told him to pad up. 120
Aryan quickly stood up to pad up. The other reserve players on the bench stared at him with envy and jealousy. 121
[In the stands]
"Mum, when do you think Aryan will come on? We mainly came to see him play, but he hasn’t even played," Riya said just as Aryan started to put on his helmet. 122
Priya, spotting Aryan on the touchline, pointed to him. Riya, following the direction her mother was pointing to, saw Aryan swinging his bat. 123
She smiled as she looked at her brother who looked like he was destined for greatness. 124
In the 45th Over, a wicket fell. Ramesh Powar was out. Aryan stood on the boundary line waiting to go in. 125
Aryan came on as the Super Sub, replacing the bowler Avishkar Salvi (who had finished his quota) in the batting lineup. 126
[COMMENTATOR POV]
’And Mumbai makes a change, and folks, history is being rewritten here. 127Aryan Sharma comes out to bat on his Senior Debut! 128
The former is a youth player who has very great statistics for the U19 team, scoring hundreds and taking wickets for fun, and he was even the mainstay in Mumbai U19’s triumph in the Cooch Behar Trophy. 129
He was also an integral part of the team that won the Vinoo Mankad Trophy last year. 130
Aryan Sharma, at 15 years, 5 months, and 24 days, becomes the youngest player to play for Mumbai in List A cricket, dethroning Sachin Tendulkar (who debuted in first-class slightly older/younger depending on records, but let’s say Aryan breaks a specific List A record). 131
Although I wouldn’t usually make this change in a pressure cooker situation, let’s see what Mumbai Manager Praveen Amre has seen in this young player that made him trust him so much to bring him on.’ 132
"What is the Coach thinking, sending such a young player in this match? Even though this is just a league match, it will still be nice to bag a win. Come on, I bet on this," a fan said. 133
"Well, let’s see what he has to offer," another said.
Priya and Riya clapped as Aryan walked to the pitch. 134Unknowingly, this incited a number of claps from the other Mumbai fans who clapped for the debutant. 135
Aryan couldn’t find his footing the first few balls that he came on. 136
He was getting beaten by the pace of Ishant Sharma, and this made him nervous. 137
But just then... ’Ding’
[System has noticed that the Host is nervous.]
[FOCUS Lv 2 has been activated] 138
Aryan, with the Focus skill activated, went to ask for a change of gloves (a tactic to calm down).
Rohit Sharma, who was at the non-striker’s end, knew one of Aryan’s habits from training.
He sometimes tapped his bat twice to signal a run.
Rohit looked at Aryan’s bat.
Just as Aryan faced the next ball, Rohit started to back up.
One of the Delhi fielders tried to sneak up on the single, but Aryan sneakily guided the ball through his legs—a late cut nutmeg—for a boundary. 139
The Mumbai fans who saw this started laughing a bit. 140
Aryan, after this, raised his head and sent a raking lofted , drive—to the boundary. 141
The shot was spectacular. 142
Unfortunately for Mumbai, in the next over, Rohit Sharma was OUT. He was caught at long-on.
The umpire raised his finger.
It was now down to Aryan and the tail. Mumbai needed 20 runs off 12 balls.
A change was made in the field. Delhi brought their best death bowler.
Aryan got the strike. He played marvelously after the wicket. 143
Aryan made cheeky doubles and very cool placements, causing trouble for the fielders. 144
"Wow, that kid has been causing problems for the opponents," a spectator said. 145
"Yeah, the pressure has been on the other team since he came in," another added. 146
Aryan, unaware of the talks behind him, got the ball and started maneuvering the field. 147
The match was in the late stages. 148
Last Over. 6 runs to win.
Pradeep Sangwan to bowl.
Aryan was on strike. 149
He played a dot ball first up. 6 off 5.
Then a single. 5 off 4. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞
Dhawal Kulkarni took a single. 4 off 3.
Aryan was back on strike.
Before he could take his stance, the bowler stopped. He had overstepped!
No Ball!
Free Hit! 150
The umpire signaled Free Hit.
A change was made in the field. Virat Kohli came to have a word with the bowler.
Aryan stood there.
Dhawal Kulkarni approached Aryan.
"Can you make it count when it matters?" he asked. 151
"Watch me," Aryan said.
The ball was in a position where Aryan could use any of his shots. 152
Aryan, being strong with both conventional and unorthodox shots, decided to use his Switch Hit (Left-handed). 153
Coach Amre knew that Aryan was good with both stances, but he heard that his right-handed power was his strongest. 154
Aryan tapped the bat and took his stance, activating [Focus Lv 2]. 155
"Wait, they’re betting the last chance on the kid playing a switch hit? Has the Mumbai manager and players gone senile?" a fan said in a sharp tone. 156
"What is wrong with the team?" another added. 157
[COMMENTATOR POV]
’Aryan has the Free Hit. 158The young man has been showing glimpses of greatness ever since he came on, but how good is he under pressure for the manager and his teammates to entrust this opportunity to him? 159’
[Aryan’s Pov]
’Wow, a winning six would be a great start to a debut. 160Shush, I have to focus on scoring from the Free Hit. 161I haven’t said this, but the Focus skill is very good. 162I can even see the seam of the ball from here. 163Well, let’s make it count then.’ 164
With this, Aryan waited for the ball. Sangwan ran in.
Aryan switched his grip and stance in a split second.
He slog-swept the ball over the deep square leg boundary (which was off-side for him now). 165
The ball dipped with swirl—as it went over the ropes. 166
The Delhi fielder, who thought that the chance was a catch, quickly realized it was sailing over his head. 167
The ball, with massive power, sank into the stands, rustling the net of the practice area beyond. 168
SIX!
The stadium went eerily silent before the Mumbai fans erupted into cheers as the shot they had just seen was simply beautiful. 169
Mumbai Won!
Aryan ran up to the area in the stands where his family was and bowed to them. 170
