The midday sun of the Arabian Peninsula beat down mercilessly upon the sprawling asphalt of the Dubai Autodrome. Heat waves shimmered visibly over the wide, empty stretches of the private racing circuit, distorting the grandstands in the distance. The air smelled distinctly of hot tarmac and high-octane fuel.
Stepping out of the air-conditioned comfort of a luxury private transport vehicle, Siddanth Deva stretched his broad shoulders.
Siddanth wore a pair of black jeans and a dark, charcoal-grey t-shirt. Printed across the shirt's chest was the unmistakable, iconic emblem of the Scout Regiment from Attack on Titan—the overlapping blue-and-white Wings of Freedom.
Beside him, KL Rahul stepped out of the vehicle, adjusting a pair of designer sunglasses over his eyes. Rahul looked around the massive, empty racing complex, a slow, appreciative smile spreading across his face.
"You actually rented out the entire track," Rahul noted, pushing his hands into the pockets of his light denim jacket. "I thought we were just going to a public go-karting arena."
"Public arenas have speed limits," Siddanth replied smoothly, leaning against the side of the car. "And crowds. Today is supposed to be quiet."
"Quiet?" Bhuvneshwar Kumar deadpanned as he emerged from the vehicle. The veteran fast bowler pointed a thumb over his shoulder toward the other side of the SUV. "Did you forget who you brought with us?"
A loud, incredibly energetic whoop echoed across the parking lot.
Yuzvendra Chahal practically launched himself out of the car. He was wearing a vibrant, oversized, floral-print shirt, bouncing on the balls of his feet like a toddler who had consumed a dangerous amount of sugar. He held his sleek NEXUS smartphone mounted on a handheld stabilizer gimbal, already pointing the camera at his own face.
"Dubai, baby!" Chahal yelled at his phone screen, spinning in a circle to capture the massive racing garages behind them. "We are at the track! No cricket today! No nets! Just speed!"
Bhuvneshwar sighed softly, adjusting his cap. "I give it ten minutes before he drops that phone on the asphalt."
"Let him have his fun," Siddanth chuckled, walking toward the primary pit lane garage where the track instructors were waiting.
Chahal was broadcasting on Vibe Live. Chahal had notoriously high engagement rates due to his chaotic internet persona; the viewer count in the top corner of his screen was skyrocketing by the thousands every single second.
"Alright, everyone joining the stream, welcome!" Chahal announced, walking backward so the camera captured Rahul and Bhuvneshwar walking behind him. "We managed to escape the team hotel. The management thinks we are at the gym doing light recovery sessions. Do not tag Ravi Shastri in the comments!"
Rahul laughed, holding up a hand to shield his face from the camera. "Yuzi, turn that thing away. My hair is a mess right now."
"Your hair always looks like a magazine cover, KL, stop complaining," Chahal retorted, turning his attention to the scrolling chat on his screen.
The digital comments were moving in a rapid, continuous blur.
@CricketFan99: Yuzi bhai escaped the hotel!
@BlueArmy_Forever: Where are you guys? That looks like a racetrack!
@PaceIsPace: Is Bhuvi actually smiling? Rare moment unlocked.
@MemeLordIndia: Please tell me Deva is there. The stream needs some aura.
"Yes, we are at a private race track," Chahal answered the chat, reading the screen as he walked. "And yes, the boss is here. I am going to go bother him right now. Let's see what the Devil of Cricket does on his day off."
Chahal jogged ahead, catching up to Siddanth near the entrance of the primary garage.
Siddanth was quietly speaking with the lead track instructor, a tall European man holding a clipboard. They were looking at a lineup of four incredibly sleek, high-performance supercars parked in the shade of the garage.
"Sid bhai!" Chahal called out, shoving the gimbal right into Siddanth's personal space. "The people want to know! Say hello to Vibe Live!"
Siddanth turned his head slowly, looking at the camera lens with a calm, faintly amused expression.
"Hello," Siddanth said simply.
The live chat instantly exploded.
@SRH_Fanatic: THE CAPTAIN!
@AnimeIndiaHub: WAIT. IS HE WEARING AN ATTACK ON TITAN SHIRT?!
@GamerGod_99: THE WINGS OF FREEDOM! SHINZOU WO SASAGEYO! DEVA IS A WEEB CONFIRMED!
@TechBro_Delhi: The Devil is streaming. Buy Nexus stocks right now.
"The chat is going crazy over your shirt, bhai," Chahal laughed, looking at the comments. "They are chanting some Japanese words."
"It is a good show," Siddanth offered a modest shrug, refusing to elaborate further on his anime preferences.
"Alright, welcome to a special edition of Chahal TV," the leg-spinner announced, stepping next to Siddanth so they were both in the frame. "We have the Indian captain here. We have a few minutes before we get into those monsters parked behind us. Let's do a quick Q&A. Send your questions in the chat, guys!"
Rahul and Bhuvneshwar walked up, standing just out of the camera frame, highly entertained by the impromptu interview.
"First question," Chahal read from the screen, squinting slightly against the glare of the sun. "What does Siddanth Deva actually do on his off days during a tournament?"
Siddanth looked at Chahal. "I rent a race track and drive my leg-spinner around so he stops complaining about being bored in the hotel."
Rahul barked a laugh from the sidelines. Bhuvneshwar smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Very funny," Chahal muttered, scrolling past the laughing emojis flooding the chat. "Next question. Since we are at a race track... do you actually like speed, Sid bhai? You bowl at 150+ kilometers an hour, but are you an adrenaline junkie in real life?"
"I like control," Siddanth answered, "Speed without control is just a crash waiting to happen. Whether it is a cricket ball or a car engine, you need to understand the mechanics of what you are doing. If you understand the machine, the speed feels slow."
The comment section appreciated the philosophical answer.
@TacticalCricket: Bro just dropped the hardest quote about fast bowling while talking about cars.
@Deva_Supremacy: "Speed without control is a crash." Writing that down.
"Okay, a question from a car fan," Chahal continued, moving the gimbal slightly. "What kind of cars do you prefer? Because we know you still drive that Swift around Hyderabad."
"I like vehicles that serve a purpose," Siddanth replied smoothly. "The Swift is invisible in city traffic. It serves its purpose. Today, we have a few track-tuned Porsches. They are designed for cornering and downforce. They serve their purpose today."
"He is so boring!" Chahal complained to the camera, throwing his free hand up in despair. "I ask him about supercars, and he starts talking about cornering logic! Sid bhai, are you ever just reckless?"
"I will let you know after you sit in the passenger seat with me today," Siddanth countered, a smirk touching the corners of his mouth.
Chahal paused. He looked at Siddanth, suddenly realizing what he had just signed up for.
"Wait. I am sitting with you?" Chahal asked nervously.
"You wanted to stream the lap," Siddanth reminded him. "You can't drive and hold the camera at the same time. Rahul and Bhuvi are taking the other car."
"Make sure your life insurance policy is updated, Yuzi," Bhuvneshwar offered a rare, dry piece of advice from the background. "I heard he drives exactly like he bowls."
"I am suddenly regretting this," Chahal muttered to the live chat, earning a fresh wave of laughing emojis from the viewers.
"Final question before we put the helmets on," Chahal said, desperately trying to change the subject back to safe territory. "Everyone wants to know. How do you balance it all? You have the twins back home, Krithika bhabhi, the cricket team, and you run a multi-billion dollar company. Do you even sleep?"
Siddanth looked directly into the camera lens.
"You prioritize," Siddanth answered honestly. "When I am at the stadium, I don't check my corporate emails. When I am in the boardroom, I don't think about my bowling run-up. And when I walk through my front door at home, my phone gets turned off. You cannot give one hundred percent to everything simultaneously. You just have to be fully present wherever you are standing at that moment."
"And no, I don't sleep very much," Siddanth added as an afterthought, causing Rahul to chuckle again.
"Alright! You heard it from the boss himself!" Chahal concluded the interview segment, spinning the camera back to his own face. "We are going to suit up now. I will keep the stream running from inside the car. Pray for me, guys. I am trusting my life to a fast bowler."
The track instructor walked over, carrying four sleek, aerodynamic racing helmets.
He handed them out. "Gentlemen, the vehicles are prepped. These are Porsche 911 GT3 RS models. They are stripped down for track performance. No heavy luxury interiors. Just roll cages and bucket seats."
The instructor turned specifically to Siddanth. "Sir, do you require a familiarization lap with one of our professional drivers to learn the braking points of the circuit?"
"No," Siddanth replied quietly, strapping his helmet on. "I know the layout."
The instructor nodded respectfully, stepping back.
Rahul and Bhuvneshwar walked over to a stunning, bright blue GT3 RS.
"I am driving first," Rahul announced, climbing into the driver's seat and adjusting the heavy racing harness.
Bhuvneshwar slipped into the passenger seat, pulling his helmet down. "Just remember, KL. The brake pedal is the wide one on the left. Do not try to impress anyone. We have an Asia Cup match in three days."
"I know how to drive, Bhuvi," Rahul laughed, firing up the engine. The flat-six motor roared to life, echoing loudly inside the concrete garage.
A few feet away, Siddanth approached a matte-black GT3 RS. The vehicle looked incredibly aggressive, sitting inches off the ground with a massive rear carbon-fiber wing.
Siddanth slid into the low bucket seat. He clicked the five-point racing harness into place. He wrapped his hands around the Alcantara steering wheel.
[Driving Skills (Gold Tier)]
Chahal climbed awkwardly over the roll cage into the passenger seat. He struggled with the heavy buckles of the harness. Siddanth leaned over and clicked them securely into place for him.
"Keep the phone steady," Siddanth advised, pressing the start button on the center console.
The engine exploded into a deafening, mechanical scream. The entire chassis vibrated.
Chahal jumped in his seat. He held his phone up, the Vibe Live stream capturing the interior of the stripped-down cabin.
"Okay guys, we are in the car," Chahal shouted over the noise of the engine. "Sid bhai looks way too calm right now. I am officially terrified."
@CricketMemeLord: Yuzi is about to meet God.
@SpeedDemon: That exhaust note sounds incredible! Let's go!
@Indian_Troll: Watch Deva drive at 40 km/h just to troll him.
Siddanth tapped the paddle shifter, engaging the first gear. The heavy transmission clicked loudly.
He pulled out of the garage, following Rahul's blue Porsche down the long pit lane toward the track exit.
"We do one warm-up lap to get heat into the tires," Siddanth explained, his voice steady, speaking through the integrated helmet communicators. "Then we push."
"Take it easy on the warm-up, please," Chahal pleaded, holding his phone tightly.
They exited the pit lane and merged onto the main straight of the Dubai Autodrome. The asphalt stretched out wide and empty before them.
Rahul, driving the blue Porsche ahead of them, accelerated smoothly. He took the first few corners with cautious, calculated precision, learning the handling of the vehicle.
Siddanth stayed right behind him. He weaved his black Porsche gently left and right across the track, deliberately building friction and heat in the wide Michelin tires.
They completed the massive 5.3-kilometer circuit. As they rounded the final sweeping corner, the long, incredibly wide main straight opened up before them like a runway.
"Tires are optimal," Siddanth noted calmly.
He didn't warn his passenger.
Siddanth pinned the accelerator pedal completely flat against the floorboard.
The response was instantaneous and violent. The 520-horsepower engine shrieked as the rev counter slammed toward 9,000 RPM. The G-force threw Chahal violently back into his bucket seat, pinning him against the carbon fiber.
"WHOA!" Chahal screamed, his phone shaking wildly in his hand as the camera captured the blurry landscape flying past the windows.
Siddanth flicked the right paddle shifter. The transmission slammed into the next gear without losing a single microsecond of acceleration.
The digital speedometer on the dashboard climbed at a terrifying rate.
160 km/h... 210 km/h... 260 km/h...
They blew past Rahul's blue Porsche on the main straight like it was standing still. Rahul barely had time to register the matte-black blur flying past his driver-side window.
"Jesus!" Rahul yelled over his own engine noise, gripping his steering wheel tighter.
"I told you," Bhuvneshwar muttered calmly from the passenger seat, watching the black car disappear into the distance. "He drives like he bowls."
Inside the black Porsche, the world outside the windshield had turned into a high-speed tunnel.
The first corner, a sharp right-hand hairpin, was approaching at blistering velocity.
"Brake! Brake! BRAKE!" Chahal shrieked at the top of his lungs, his eyes wide with panic behind his visor. The concrete retaining wall was rushing toward them too fast.
Siddanth did not touch the brakes.
He waited until the fraction of a second before the turning point.
His right foot snapped onto the brake pedal, applying massive, threshold pressure without locking the wheels. The carbon-ceramic brakes bit hard. The G-force instantly reversed, throwing Chahal violently forward against his harness straps.
Siddanth downshifted twice in rapid succession. The exhaust popped and banged loudly.
With surgical precision, Siddanth turned the steering wheel. He didn't fight the machine; he communicated with it. He clipped the red-and-white painted apex of the corner with the inside tire, perfectly balancing the weight transfer of the chassis.
The car glided through the hairpin turn as if it were running on invisible rails.
The moment they cleared the apex, Siddanth buried the throttle again, launching them out of the corner with maximum exit speed.
Chahal was completely breathless. He pressed his phone against the dashboard just to keep it steady.
"Are you trying to kill me?!" Chahal yelled over the roaring engine, abandoning his polite, on-camera persona. "Slow down, bhai! You are a maniac!"
Siddanth just chuckled softly, a deeply amused, quiet sound coming through the headset. He didn't slow down. He shifted into fifth gear, entering a long, sweeping left-hand curve at over two hundred kilometers an hour.
He drove with one hand resting lightly on the bottom of the steering wheel, his posture relaxed. He occasionally checked his side mirrors, looking unbothered by the terrifying speeds they were achieving.
The live chat on the Vibe stream was moving so fast it was impossible to read individual comments.
@SRH_Eagle: CHAHAL IS LITERALLY CRYING! 😭😂
@MotorHead_DXB: That corner entry was flawless. The man knows his racing lines!
@Pooja_Hegde_Fan: Why does Deva look like he is driving to the grocery store?! He is so calm!
@Hitman_Squad: RIP Yuzi. We will remember your leg spin.
@MemeCentral_IND: Chahal screaming for his life while Deva just casually checks his mirrors.
They hit another heavy braking zone. Siddanth trail-braked deep into the corner, letting the rear end of the Porsche slide out slightly in a controlled drift before snapping it back into a straight line with a flick of his wrists.
"Oh my god... oh my god..." Chahal muttered, clutching his chest harness with his free hand, his eyes squeezed tightly shut during the corners.
"Open your eyes, Yuzi," Siddanth advised calmly over the headset. "If you close your eyes, the motion sickness gets worse. Look at the horizon. Anticipate the movement."
"I am anticipating my own funeral!" Chahal shouted back, though he reluctantly opened his eyes.
They completed the first flying lap. As they flew down the main straight again, they passed Rahul and Bhuvneshwar, who were currently navigating the final corner at a much more reasonable, sensible pace.
Siddanth completed three more laps, maintaining blistering pace. His gold-tier driving skills ensured that the car remained planted to the asphalt. There was no reckless sliding, no missed apexes, and no danger of losing control. It was a masterclass in track performance.
Finally, as they approached the pit lane entry, Siddanth lifted his foot off the accelerator. He tapped the brakes gently, letting the heavy engine decelerate smoothly.
They rolled down the pit lane at forty kilometers an hour. The sudden lack of noise and G-force felt jarring.
Siddanth pulled the matte-black Porsche into the garage and killed the engine. The sudden silence in the cabin was deafening, broken only by the metallic ticking of the cooling exhaust pipes.
Siddanth unbuckled his harness, pulled off his helmet, and ran a hand through his dark, long hair. He wasn't even sweating. He looked refreshed.
Chahal sat frozen in the passenger seat. His hands were trembling slightly as he slowly lowered his phone. He let out a long, shuddering breath.
"I have survived," Chahal whispered dramatically to his live stream, pulling his helmet off. His hair was sticking up in wild directions. "I am kissing the ground the second I get out of this car."
Siddanth laughed, opening his door and stepping out onto the concrete floor of the garage.
A few minutes later, the blue Porsche rolled into the adjacent bay. Rahul and Bhuvneshwar stepped out.
Rahul pulled his helmet off, grinning widely. "That was incredible! The grip on these cars is insane. I barely pushed it past fourth gear, but it felt amazing."
Bhuvneshwar looked over at the black car. He saw Chahal slowly crawling out over the roll cage, looking slightly green around the gills.
"Are you alright, Yuzi?" Bhuvneshwar asked. "You look like you just faced a fast bowler on a green pitch."
"He doesn't brake!" Chahal complained loudly, pointing an accusing finger at Siddanth, who was currently taking a bottle of water from a track assistant. "The wall was right there, Bhuvi bhai! The wall was two feet away, and he just turned the wheel! I saw my entire life flash before my eyes!"
"I hit the apex perfectly," Siddanth defended himself reasonably, taking a drink of water.
Rahul walked over, laughing as he watched Chahal dramaticize the experience for his viewers on the live stream.
"You guys," Chahal said to the camera, his voice returning to its usual, chaotic pitch. "Do not ever get into a car with Siddanth Deva. He is a menace to society on the road."
Siddanth walked up behind Chahal, leaning into the camera frame.
He looked at his leg-spinner, a soft, highly amused smirk playing on his lips.
"Don't complain, Yuzi," Siddanth said, his voice calm and carrying over the live microphone. "You should consider it an honor."
"An honor to get whiplash?" Chahal grumbled.
"Yes," Siddanth nodded slowly. He looked directly into the camera lens. "You are the second person to sit beside me in a race car on a race track after Kohli."
The comment section on Vibe Live stopped entirely for one second before melting down.
@ViratGang: WAIT WHAT?! KOHLI RODE WITH HIM?!
@CricketTruths: THE NEW ZEALAND STORY IS REAL! KOHLI TOLD THIS STORY IN AN INTERVIEW!
@BlueArmy_India: Virat Kohli said he thought his soul left his body when Deva drove him in Auckland! 😂😭
@MemeLordIndia: First Virat, now Chahal. Deva is collecting traumatized passengers like infinity stones.
@PaceIsPace: "After Kohli." That is the ultimate flex.
Chahal looked at the comments flying across his screen. He remembered the famous story Virat Kohli had told in the dressing room years ago about their disastrous track day in New Zealand.
"Wait," Chahal realized, his eyes widening. "Virat bhai threw up after you drove him, right?"
"He did not throw up," Siddanth corrected smoothly. "He just requested a very long break to sit on the grass."
Rahul burst into uncontrollable laughter, leaning against the hood of the blue Porsche. Bhuvneshwar shook his head, a quiet smile breaking his usual stoic expression.
"Alright, stream is ending!" Chahal announced, laughing despite his lingering nausea. "I am going back to the hotel. I need to lie down on a non-moving bed. Thank you for joining us! Bye guys!"
Chahal ended the broadcast, pocketing his phone with a heavy sigh.
"You want to go for another run, KL?" Siddanth asked, gesturing toward the cars. "I can take you in the passenger seat this time. Show you the braking lines."
Rahul raised his hands instantly, stepping backward. "Absolutely not, Captain. I value my spine. I will stick to driving myself at sixty kilometers an hour."
Siddanth chuckled softly. The high-adrenaline outing had served its purpose flawlessly. The heavy, suffocating tension that usually preceded a major tournament like the Asia Cup was absent from their group.
"Let's head back," Siddanth decided, picking up his helmet and handing it to the track staff. "We have a team meeting at seven, and I promised Krithika I would call her before she puts the twins to sleep."
"The responsible father returns," Bhuvneshwar noted dryly, walking toward the exit doors of the garage.
"Only after terrifying his teammates," Rahul added, patting Chahal on the back as they walked out into the glaring Dubai sun.
They climbed back into the luxury SUV waiting for them in the parking lot. The drive back to the team hotel was loud and chaotic, with Chahal spending the entire journey dramatically exaggerating his near-death experience while Siddanth simply smiled, looking out at the towering skyscrapers of the city.
The brief window of freedom had closed. The helmets were packed away, and the cricket gear awaited. But the shared laughter in the pit lane would carry them effortlessly into the grueling battles of the Asia Cup.