Day 8 – Announcement: "ZONE TRIAL MATCHES"
The dormitory lights flicker early.
The players gather at the hall, tense. On-screen appears Coach Deshmukh.
> Deshmukh:
"The honeymoon ends. Today — Red Zone vs Top 10. The worst vs the best. Fair? No. Real? Yes."
Gasps break through the silence.
Format:
3 matches.
Each Red Zone player leads a mini-team.
If their team loses — they're OUT.
If they win — they survive.
This was it. The first real cut.
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Red Zone Captains:
1. Deep Kalra (Batsman)
2. Laksh Verma (All-rounder)
3. Pranay Sharma (Wicketkeeper-Batter)
They each choose 5 players from the bottom pool. No top 10 allowed.
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Match 1 – Deep Kalra's Survival Battle
Opponent Captain: Omkar Shinde
The silent off-spinner. No emotions. No weaknesses.
> Mentor Comment:
"Deep plays flashy shots. Omkar spins patience."
Match Summary:
Deep scores 15 before getting stumped off Omkar's deceptive flight.
Rest of the team crumbles under spin pressure.
Final Result: Omkar's team wins by 20 runs.
Deep is eliminated. The board flashes red.
> "First player OUT: DEEP KALRA"
No words. No goodbye. He exits with his kit bag slung over his shoulder — eyes down.
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Match 2 – Laksh Verma vs Team Yellow (Captain: Aryan Raj)
Laksh's chance to survive. But facing Aryan?
The crowd buzzes.
Laksh's strategy: Go explosive from ball 1.
He hits:
Six
Four
Four
Then… tries a scoop. Misses. Bowled by Aryan's surprise slower one.
Commentator:
> "Aryan bowls now?! He's full of quiet surprises."
His team collapses chasing 48.
Result: Aryan's team wins by 10 runs.
Laksh Verma — eliminated.
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Match 3 – Pranay Sharma vs Team Blue (Captain: Yuvraj)
A one-sided slaughter.
Yuvraj bowls the first over himself — gets two wickets.
Then comes in at No.3, smashes 35* off 13 balls.
Result: Team Blue wins in 4 overs. Pranay eliminated.
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By Evening — Only 44 Players Remain.
The elimination ceremony begins.
All three eliminated players stand in a spotlight on the practice ground.
Behind them, their best and worst moments are played on screen.
One by one, they exit the gate, doors shutting behind them.
> "This is real. No comeback. No second chance."
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Post-Elimination Dorm Reactions
Some players cry softly under bedsheets.
Some stare at the board in silence.
Others — like Yuvraj — laugh and play loud music.
But the top players? They're regrouping.
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Aryan's Room – Late Night
Aryan sits with Omkar and Sai again.
> Omkar:
"First blood drawn. Now they'll come with teeth."
Sai:
"Let them. We bring patience. They bring panic."
Aryan:
"Next week decides captains for international trials."
They all look up.
War is only beginning.
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Mentor Box – Virat Kohli, Ganguly, Dhoni, and Dravid sit in silence.
> Virat:
"That Aryan kid… he's too mature to be 19.
But Yuvraj has fire. I want both to burn brighter."
Dhoni:
"Let's just see who burns out first."
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Next: Chapter 10 – International Stars Arrive for Technique Testing