11 Months Before Final Selection Match
The BCCI's luxury camp in Bengaluru looked like a dream.
Artificial and natural pitches, wind tunnels for swing simulation, drone-assisted fielding zones, mental conditioning rooms — it was no longer just cricket.
It was cricket reimagined as war.
And today, the battlefield welcomed its first warriors.
Players Enter the Arena
Cameras flashed. Reporters lined up.
Fans waved outside security zones as the Top 50 young cricketers arrived — not in jerseys, but in mystery.
Each of them carried something deeper than skill — ambition, ego, fear, pressure…
And all of them wanted the same thing: to wear the next India jersey.
Aryan Raj stepped down from the last bus.
No crowd called his name. No one recognized him.
He carried a small duffel bag. One bat. A notebook.
Inside his eyes — unreadable calm.
Introduction Ceremony (BCCI Hall)
An enormous hall buzzed with emotion. Every seat was filled with a rival. Every glance held a challenge.
On stage stood Coach Anil Deshmukh, flanked by Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, and a few foreign advisors.
Coach Deshmukh:
"This is not a camp. This is a battlefield. If you're here to play 'good cricket', go home. You're here to destroy your past. Build a new body. A new brain. A new game. In one year, only a handful of you will survive."
Eyes shifted across the room.
Sai Menon, arms folded, calculating everyone.
Yuvraj Rathore, laughing under his breath — loud, reckless, unpredictable.
Laksh Verma, checking who was filming — built for the spotlight.
Omkar Shinde, eyes closed, visualizing dismissals already.
Iqbal Nawaz, smirking — already guessing everyone's weakness.
Virat Kohli (taking the mic):
"You don't have to be like me. You have to defeat better versions of me."
Then he walked off-stage… and stared for a long second at Aryan, who didn't even blink.
Room Assignments & Shock
Players were split into 10 groups of 5 — each group a mix of skill types.
When Aryan entered Room 9, he saw four already there:
Sai Menon
Yuvraj Rathore
Laksh Verma
Omkar Shinde
The strongest minds, biggest mouths, and coldest eyes — all in one room.
"Room of Death," someone muttered in the hallway.
No one welcomed Aryan.
No one spoke.
Just intense glances.
Five players, one ceiling, one goal — to become irreplaceable.
Training Starts Tomorrow
As the sun set over the Bengaluru horizon, the media ran stories:
"The Bat and Ball Program Begins: Who Will Rise?"
"Virat Picks Unknown Batsman from Bihar – Who is Aryan Raj?"
"Yuvraj Rathore Promises to Retire All Bowlers"
Inside his bed, Aryan closed his eyes and repeated the one thought that guided him:
"Win with your mind, not just your bat."
Because this wasn't just a cricket match.
This was year one of war.
Next: Chapter 3 – First Blood