When Nikhil walked into the zonal training ground, the atmosphere shifted.
He wasn't just another player returning from camp. He was the youngest cricketer from their zone to have ever been selected for the Vijay Hazare training camp. Even though he hadn't made the final cut, his name had already become part of local cricketing lore.
To the boys in his squad, he was a symbol of possibility.
To the coaches, he was a leader in the making.
To himself, he was unfinished business.
The Training Begins
The first week of training was intense but focused. Nikhil didn't waste time with speeches or posturing. He watched. He listened. He studied each player's rhythm—how they moved, how they reacted under pressure, how they communicated.
He rotated batting orders during nets, shuffled fielding drills to test adaptability, and paired bowlers with different styles to simulate match conditions.
By the end of the week, he knew his team.
Not just their names.
Their instincts.
Their flaws.
Their fire.
And they knew him—not just as a player, but as a captain.
The Zonal Tournament Structure
The Inter-District Zonal Championship was set to begin the following week. Eight zones from across Uttar Pradesh would compete in a round-robin format, followed by semifinals and a final.
Each zone had submitted its squad and named its captain.
Here was the lineup:
Western UP – Nikhil Srivastam
Eastern UP – Kabir Solanki
Central UP – Aditya Chauhan
Bundelkhand – Rudra Yadav
Awadh Zone – Sarfaraz Alam
Rohilkhand – Devansh Tyagi
Terai Region – Harshdeep Singh
Purvanchal – Manan Srivastava
The tournament was being closely watched by district selectors and state scouts.
For many, this was a proving ground.
For Nikhil, it was a battlefield.
Tactical Prep
In the final team meeting before match week, Nikhil stood in front of his squad—bat tucked under his arm, notebook in hand.
"We're not here to play safe," he said. "We're here to play smart. Aggressive. Tactical. And together."
He laid out match plans, fielding formations, and bowling rotations. He assigned roles—not just based on skill, but on temperament.
"You're my death overs guy," he told one pacer. "You're my pressure anchor," he told a middle-order batter. "You're my chaos creator," he told the leg-spinner.
The team responded.
Not with applause.
But with focus.
The Night Before
On the eve of the first match, Nikhil sat alone on the pavilion steps, watching the ground under moonlight. Veer rested beside him, silent.
He didn't feel nervous.
He felt ready.
This wasn't a comeback.
This was a beginning.