Chapter 15: The First Practice
The cautious approval from his father felt more significant than the victory at the trials. It was a small crack in the wall of practicality Umesh Roi had built around their lives.
Raghav knew he couldn't just maintain his grades; he had to excel, to prove that his dedication to cricket wasn't a distraction but a parallel path.
The Monday after the trials, the atmosphere at the school ground was entirely different.
The crowd of sixty hopefuls was gone, replaced by the focused, somewhat intimidating presence of the final fifteen players.
The air of casual chatter was replaced by the crisp thwack of leather on willow and the sharp calls of fielders.
Raghav, being the youngest and newest member, felt the invisible weight of the team hierarchy.
Seniors like Vikram, the official captain, and Gourav, the lanky fast bowler who had openly scoffed at him, were already running drills. They moved with a practiced ease that made Raghav feel clumsy.
"Alright, listen up!" Coach Sarma's voice cut through the morning air, and everyone immediately gathered.
"Congratulations on making the squad. That was the easy part." His eyes scanned every one of them, lingering for a moment on Raghav. "The work starts now.
The Inter-School Zonal Tournament begins in two weeks. Our first match is against DPS Guwahati. I don't intend to lose. From now until then, practice is every day, 4 PM sharp. Be prepared to work."
As the coach laid out the brutal training schedule, a familiar blue screen flickered to life in Raghav's vision.
Ding~
[New Chain Quest Issued: School Tournament Debut]
[Part 1: Make the Playing XI]
[Objective: You are on the 15-man squad, but not the 11-man playing team. Impress Coach Sarma in the next two weeks and be selected for the 'Playing XI' in the first tournament match.]
[Reward: +2 Batting Technique, +2 Cricket IQ, 15 SP]
Raghav's focus sharpened. The system was right. Making the team was just the first step; now he had to prove he deserved to actually play.
Those two weeks were a new kind of hell, making his 7-day foundation training look like a holiday.
Coach Sarma was a relentless taskmaster. The training was divided into three parts: conditioning, fielding drills, and net practice.
Conditioning was brutal, but Raghav's Stamina (17) and Strength (13) allowed him to keep up, much to the surprise of the seniors who expected the "Class 8 kid" to collapse.
Fielding, however, was his nightmare. With a
'Fielding' stat of just 8, he was clumsy. His throws were weak, and his reaction time to hard-hit balls was slow.
"Roi!" Sarma barked during a catching drill.
"Attack the ball! Don't wait for it to come to you! Run!"
Raghav threw himself desperately at every ball, his body screaming in protest. More than once, he fumbled a routine stop, earning a disgusted sigh from Gourav.
"Told you, coach. He's a ball boy," Gourav muttered to another senior, just loud enough for Raghav to hear.
Raghav's face burned, but he clenched his jaw and ran for the next ball.
The net sessions were his sanctuary. Here, his 'Batting Technique' (12) and 'Cricket IQ' (25) shone. While seniors like Vikram were hitting powerful, aggressive shots, Raghav was a wall.
He faced the fast bowlers, his body instinctively moving into a defensive posture, his bat meeting the ball with a solid thock. He didn't score fast, but he survived. He didn't get out.
Coach Sarma watched him intently. He'd have
Raghav face the team's main spinner for twenty minutes straight, testing his patience, watching his footwork, analyzing how he read the ball.
Raghav, with his 42-year-old mind, played every ball on its merit, defending the good ones and leaving the bad.
At home, he was exhausted, but his routine was unwavering.
5:00 AM: System training (1km run, 20 push-ups, 30 sit-ups).
7:00 AM - 3:00 PM: School (He was now a front-bencher, asking questions, determined to keep his promise to his father).
4:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Team Practice.
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM: Homework.
He barely had time to see Abhinav, who could only look on with a mix of awe and worry at his friend's relentless drive.
___________________
Finally, the day before the first match, Coach Sarma gathered the team after a grueling practice.
"Alright...Tomorrow is the first match. Here is the playing eleven."
Raghav's heart hammered against his ribs. He expected to be carrying drinks.
"1. Vikram, Captain."
"2. Rohan, Wicketkeeper."
"3. Suraj."
"4. Rakesh."
Raghav held his breath, bracing for the inevitable.
"5. Raghav Roi."
The name hung in the air. Raghav blinked, certain he'd misheard. Gourav's head snapped up, a look of disbelief on his face.
Vikram, the captain, looked surprised but didn't question the coach.
Coach Sarma's eyes locked onto Raghav. "Roi. You're batting at number five."
He walked over until he was standing right in front of him.
"I'm not putting you there to hit sixes. Your job is simple: don't get out. I want you to anchor the middle order. Frustrate their bowlers. Stay at the crease. Do not give your wicket away. Is that clear?"
Raghav, stunned but resolute, snapped to attention. "Yes, Coach!"
As the team was dismissed, the system chimed.
[Part 1: Make the Playing XI - (Completed)]
[Rewards: +2 Batting Technique, +2 Cricket IQ, 15 SP applied.]
[Host Stats Updated: Batting Technique: 14, Cricket IQ: 27, System Points: 15]
A new warmth spread through him, his mind feeling sharper, his hands feeling an even more intuitive connection to the bat he was holding.
Then, a new notification popped up, setting his next challenge.
[New Quest: Part 2: First Match Victory]
[Objective: Score a minimum of 30 runs in your debut match and contribute to a team victory.]
[Reward: +3 Stamina, +3 Strength, 25 SP]
Raghav gripped his bat. He had made the eleven. He was batting at number 5. His first real match, the true beginning of his new life, was tomorrow.
(To be Continued)