Chapter 54: Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Prelude to the Season & Concerns

[Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Ground - BKC Complex]

The sun was beating down mercilessly on the Maximum City. The humidity was stifling, typical of Mumbai in October.

The sound of the ball hitting the net was crisp.

Aryan was in the nets, facing Dhawal Kulkarni.

He stepped out, converting a good length delivery into a half-volley, and lofted it straight back over the bowler’s head. If there were no nets, that ball would have been in the Arabian Sea.

"Shot, yaar," Dhawal nodded appreciatively.

Aryan had been training intensely since returning from London. The domestic season was about to begin in earnest.

"You really are going to be a nightmare for bowlers this season," a voice said from behind the nets.

It was Wasim Jaffer, pads on, ready for his turn.

"Thanks, Bhaiya," Aryan said, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Just trying to get used to the red soil bounce again."

"You’re hitting it well. 13 out of 15 shots in the ’V’. Good discipline," Jaffer noted.

[Coach’s Office - Wankhede Stadium]

"So, what did you want to discuss, Dr. Lele?" Coach Amre asked the head physiotherapist.

"It’s about Aryan," Dr. Lele said, pulling out a file.

Amre leaned forward. "Is the ankle flaring up again?"

"No, the ankle is fine. It’s his growth plates," the doctor said gravely.

"He’s 15, going on 16. His medicals show he’s undergoing a massive growth spurt. His bone density is increasing, and his height has shot up by 2 centimeters in the last month alone."

"Okay... isn’t that good for a fast bowler? Height helps," Amre asked.

"It is, but it also makes him prone to stress fractures in the back if we over-bowl him. His muscles are trying to catch up to his skeletal growth. If we push him like a 25-year-old workhorse, he will break down. We’ve seen it happen to young pacers before."

"So, load management," Amre sighed.

"Strict load management. Limit his overs in the nets. Maybe play him as a pure batter in some games if the wicket doesn’t demand a third seamer. And definitely monitor his gym workload."

"The Board won’t like it. He’s the poster boy right now. They want him playing every match to sell tickets," Amre rubbed his temples.

"You have to choose, Praveen. Sell tickets now and end his career by 20, or manage him and have a legend for 15 years," Dr. Lele stated bluntly.

Amre nodded. "I’ll handle the Board. We protect the boy."

[Aryan’s Apartment - Bandra]

Aryan took a kali-peeli (black and yellow taxi) home. His mother hadn’t returned from London yet, so the house was empty.

He unlocked the door and threw his kit bag in the corner. The silence of the apartment was a stark contrast to the noise of the stadium.

He took a cold shower, letting the water cool his overheated body.

Dinner was a simple affair—he ordered some grilled chicken and salad. He was strictly following the diet plan the system had suggested (and Dadi had ruined for three days).

Sitting on the couch, he picked up his PlayStation controller. EA Sports Cricket 07 was loaded up.

"Let’s see if I can recreate that century," he muttered. He created a custom player named ’Aryan’ with max stats and put him in the Mumbai team.

After an hour of gaming, he decided to call Ananya.

It had been a while since they spoke properly.

"Hello?" A voice answered, but it wasn’t Ananya.

"Uh, who is this?" Aryan asked, checking the number.

"Hi, is Ananya around?" Aryan continued. "I’m Aryan, her friend."

"Oh! You’re The Aryan?" the female voice giggled. "I’m Sneha, her roommate. Ananya left her phone in the dorm room. She went to the library."

"Oh. Okay. I’ll call later," Aryan said.

"Wait! Are you really the cricketer? Can I get tickets?" Sneha asked shamelessly.

"Bye, Sneha," Aryan laughed and hung up.

It seemed Ananya was busy with her university life in Delhi. A pang of... something... hit him. Loneliness? Jealousy?

He shook it off. The Ranji Trophy opener was in a few days. He couldn’t afford distractions.

[Delhi University Hostel]

"Who was that?" Ananya asked, walking into the room with a stack of books.

"Your ’friend’ Aryan called," Sneha said, making air quotes. "He has a sexy voice."

Ananya snatched the phone. "Did you say anything weird?"

"Just asked for tickets. So, he’s the reason you reject all the guys here?" Sneha teased.

"I don’t reject them because of him. I reject them because they are immature," Ananya said, blushing slightly.

"He’s younger than you, Anu. He’s a kid," Sneha pointed out.

"He’s turning 16 soon. And I’m 19. It’s a 3-year gap. It’s not that bad," Ananya defended quickly.

"Aha! So you have thought about the age gap! You like him!" Sneha shrieked.

"Shut up! We are childhood friends!" Ananya threw a pillow at her.

"Then what about Karan?" Sneha asked, dodging the pillow.

"What about him?" Ananya scowled.

"He’s the college heartthrob, captain of the debate team, drives a Honda City. He asked you out three times."

"And I said no three times. He’s arrogant. He thinks he owns the world," Ananya said.

"Good luck ignoring him. He doesn’t take ’no’ well," Sneha warned.

Ananya looked at her phone screen. A missed call from Aryan. She smiled.

[Mumbai - Training Ground - Next Day]

"Okay everyone, gather round!" Coach Amre blew his whistle.

The squad huddled up.

"The Ranji season starts day after tomorrow. We play Gujarat at home. It’s a crucial game to set the momentum."

"I have the squad list here."

Amre looked at Aryan.

"Aryan, you’re in the squad. But you might not bowl your full quota of overs. Doctor’s orders."

Aryan frowned but nodded. He knew about the growth spurt issue; the system had warned him too.

[System Alert: Growth Spurt Detected. Durability decreased by 10% temporarily. Bone density increasing.]

"It’s frustrating, but necessary," Aryan thought.

"Also, we have a new addition to the squad for this match. A transfer from Baroda," Amre announced. "Meet Hardik ."

A lean, energetic boy with a funky hairstyle stepped forward.

The competition was heating up.

[BCCI Headquarters - Selection Committee Room]

"Let’s take the money from the IPL franchises first," a board member said. "The hype around this Aryan kid is unreal."

"Most offers are coming from teams wanting to market him as the ’Youth Icon’. Royal Challengers, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils—they all want him," another member said.

"But he’s 15. The rules say U19 players need to have played a certain amount of First-Class cricket before the auction draft," a conservative member argued.

"He just scored a century in England against a County side. He’s playing Ranji. He qualifies," the Chairman said.

"There is talk of English counties wanting him for a full season next year. Surrey and Middlesex are interested."

"He won’t be sold to England," the President of the BCCI spoke up, his voice cutting through the noise.

"He is the future of Indian cricket. We keep him here. We make him the face of the IPL."

"HE WON’T BE SOLD ABROAD!"

Chapter 47: Dull Beginnings

The rough thud of the landing gear hitting the tarmac jolted Aryan out of his slumber. He blinked, the cabin pressure popping in his ears as the announcement chimed overhead.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai. The outside temperature is a humid 32 degrees Celsius."

Aryan unbuckled his seatbelt and looked to his side. Wasim Jaffer, the Mumbai captain, was stretching his neck, looking relieved to be home.

"Home sweet home, eh?" Aryan mumbled, his voice hoarse from sleep.

Jaffer smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Enjoy the AC while it lasts, Aryan. The humidity out there is going to hit you like a bouncer."

The Mumbai squad disembarked, the transition from the cool London autumn to the sweltering Mumbai October heat instantaneous. They had returned a day ahead of schedule to acclimatize before traveling for their Ranji Trophy opener.

The team bus navigated through the chaotic traffic of the Western Express Highway. Horns blared, rickshaws weaved dangerously, and the smell of the sea mixed with exhaust fumes filled the air. It was chaos, but it was their chaos.

"Okay boys," Coach Amre stood up as the bus neared the Wankhede complex. "Go home. Rest. Report for the light training session tomorrow afternoon. Recovery is key."

[Bandra, Aryan’s Apartment]

Aryan unlocked the door to his apartment. It was empty; his mother and sister were still in London with his grandparents.

He dropped his kit bag in the hallway and headed straight for the shower. The cold water washed away the travel fatigue and the sticky Mumbai sweat.

After drying off, he collapsed onto his bed. Sleep tugged at him, but his mind was active. He hadn’t checked the System in detail since the Surrey match.

"I’ve been hoarding points during the pre-season," he thought. "With the Ranji season starting, I need to be sharp. Especially since the doctor has limited my bowling workload."

"System," Aryan called out mentally.

A translucent blue screen, invisible to the rest of the world, materialized before his eyes.

"Show me my status and available points."

ROLE: FAST BOWLING ALL-ROUNDER

STATUS: MUMBAI SENIOR TEAM (ROOKIE)

SYSTEM EVALUATION: WONDERKID

OVERALL RATING (OVR): 82/100

LEGEND POINTS (LP): 210,800 / 507,000 (To Lv 5)

SIMULATION POINTS: 1250

* Batting Technique: 86

* Bowling Accuracy: 85

* Pace: 90 (145 kmph+)

* Fielding/Reflexes: 77

* Mental Strength: 68

Aryan analyzed his stats. He was already one of the best players in the domestic circuit purely based on numbers. Wasim Jaffer, a domestic legend, probably hovered around an 84 or 85 in batting technique, but Aryan’s pace was world-class.

"I need to improve my fielding and game awareness," Aryan decided. "If I’m playing as a specialist batter for the first few games, I need to be a livewire in the field."

He looked at the Cricket IQ attribute. This governed his ability to read the game—anticipating field placements, reading the bowler’s hand, and judging runs.

Aryan dumped 5 points into Cricket IQ.

[Ding! Cricket IQ increased: 80 -> 85]

Next, he looked at Fielding/Reflexes.

Fielding/Reflexes: 77

* Throwing Accuracy: 70

He had 19 points left. He decided to boost his agility and throwing. A direct hit from the deep could change a match.

He added 4 points to Agility, 5 to Throwing Accuracy, and 5 to Balance.

Fielding/Reflexes: 77 -> 81

* Throwing Accuracy: 70 -> 75

He had 5 stat points left.

"I’ll save these for a rainy day," Aryan thought, closing the interface.

[System Alert: Host OVR increased to 82]

Aryan smiled. He was ready.

[Wankhede Stadium - Training Ground]

"Coach, is it me or does Aryan look sharper?" Assistant Coach Kulkarni asked, holding a clipboard.

"It’s not just you," Amre nodded, arms crossed. "I thought the same."

In the nets, Aryan was batting against Dhawal Kulkarni and Ramesh Powar. He wasn’t just hitting the ball; he was toying with the field.

He played a late cut against Powar that was so fine it would have beaten a third man effortlessly. Then, facing Dhawal’s outswinger, he stepped out and punched it through the covers with such balance that he held the pose for the cameras.

His movements were fluid, wasting no energy.

"Sigh. What did Dr. Lele say after the morning check-up?" Amre asked.

"He said Aryan is fit to play the opener against Tamil Nadu in Chennai," Kulkarni replied. "But..."

"Strict restriction on bowling. Maximum 5 overs per innings. He suggests playing him as a pure batter who can bowl part-time until his bone density stabilizes. Essentially, treat him as a batting all-rounder for now."

Amre stood in thought. Playing Tamil Nadu at Chepauk was never easy.

It was a spinning track, humid, and they had a strong batting lineup. Benching his fastest bowler was a risk, but breaking the kid was a bigger risk.

"Fine. He plays at Number 5 or 6. We play an extra seamer," Amre decided.

[M. A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai]

The humidity in Chennai was oppressive. The air hung heavy, thick with moisture and the buzz of the crowd.