Day 7 – Stadium Grounds, 6:00 PM
The sky turned a blazing orange as the players walked out.
This wasn't just a trial match — it was a publicized exhibition.
Media vans, ex-BCCI players, and even foreign scouts sat in private galleries.
#BatAndBall was now trending on social media.
And the opening battle?
> Team Red vs Team Blue
6-over match under pressure.
Captains: Sai Menon (Red) vs Yuvraj Rathore (Blue)
---
Team Red XI:
Sai Menon (c), Aryan Raj, Dev Tyagi, Karan Sethi, Akash Dube, Ravi Kaul
Team Blue XI:
Yuvraj Rathore (c), Iqbal Nawaz, Rajveer Goyal, Manan Bhasin, Aditya Khurana, Pranay Sharma
Toss: Team Blue wins. Yuvraj chooses to bat.
---
Over 1–2: Yuvraj & Iqbal Open
Yuvraj walks out with swagger.
The crowd cheers. He raises his bat to the gallery.
First over: aggressive start — lofted drives, pulls.
12 runs off 5 balls.
But on the sixth — Sai places Aryan at a deceptive deep mid-off.
Yuvraj mistimes a flat shot — caught by Aryan diving forward.
Commentators:
> "What reflexes! That boy doesn't react — he predicts."
Blue: 13/1
---
Over 3–4: Iqbal & Rajveer Fight Back
Rajveer starts hammering Sai's off-spinners.
4, 4, 6 — pure muscle.
Aryan signals a change — brings Karan Sethi in.
Karan bowls a cutter.
Rajveer swings — edge — caught behind.
Blue: 32/2
---
Final Overs: Collapse
Iqbal gets run out on a risky double.
Aditya Khurana mistimes a sweep.
Ravi Kaul bowls a tight last over.
Final Score: 42/5 in 6 overs
---
Team Red – Aryan Opens with Dev Tyagi
Calm. Composed.
No music, no hype.
First ball: Yorker — Aryan dead bats it.
Second ball: Flicks behind square for two.
Next over, he goes full throttle:
Lap shot – four
Reverse paddle – four
On-drive – six
Sai (from dugout):
> "He's reading them two balls ahead."
Aryan retires at 25 (retirement rule to allow others to bat).
Dev and Akash finish the game in 5.2 overs.
---
Result:
Team Red wins by 8 wickets
The crowd begins chanting Aryan's name — but he simply walks back to the dugout, expressionless.
Yuvraj watches from the other side, fists clenched.
> Yuvraj (muttering):
"He's not even celebrating... He doesn't care. That's dangerous."
---
Post-Match Media Reactions
Sunil Gavaskar:
> "Aryan reminds me of Dravid — minus the noise, plus modern touch."
AB de Villiers (watching on livestream):
> "That kid plays like he's solving puzzles. I love it."
---
Midnight – Dormitory Screen Update
Top Performers Today:
1. Aryan Raj
2. Rajveer Goyal
3. Omkar Shinde (bowled 2 maidens in the Yellow vs Green match)
4. Sai Menon
5. Iqbal Nawaz
Bottom 3:
1. Pranay Sharma
2. Manan Bhasin
3. Deep Kalra
---
Inside the Red Zone Room
Deep Kalra sits with hands clenched, knowing he's inches from elimination.
Laksh Verma hasn't spoken in two days.
Yuvraj, pacing, doesn't like this silence.
> Yuvraj (to Iqbal):
"Tomorrow, I crush someone. Anyone. I'm done playing polite."
Iqbal just smirks, eyes on Aryan's name glowing at the top of the board.
---
Next: Chapter 9 – Pressure Cooker: Omkar's Game & the First Elimination