DPS South Bangalore walked out to chase with purpose.
Their openers—Karthik Rao and Neil Varma—were known runners. Not explosive, but relentless. They pushed singles early, forcing NITK's fielders to move, to bend, to test tired legs.
NITK answered with structure.
Arjun opened the bowling.
Kapil set the ring field.
Raju guarded square leg like a wall.
Rudra stood at long-off.
Quiet. Still.
Watching.
Focus
Lv 06 (71 / 100 EXP) → (74 / 100 EXP)
Karthik drove firmly, testing the gap. Rudra moved early, cutting the angle before the ball reached the grass.
Clean pickup.
Flat throw.
Single only.
Fielding Awareness
Lv 01 (6 / 100 EXP) → (12 / 100 EXP)
DPS didn't slow.
Neil pushed for a risky second. Arjun's throw came in sharp. Kapil collected, turned, fired.
Run out.
One wicket.
Pressure—not noise—shifted.
The new batter, Aditya Menon, tried to settle. He glanced at the scoreboard twice in one over.
Rudra noticed.
He adjusted his position by two steps—not dramatic, just precise.
The next shot came flatter, harder.
Straight to him.
No dive needed.
No rush.
He gathered and threw once—hard, accurate, chest-high to the keeper.
The non-striker hesitated.
Another run-out chance.
Taken.
Decision Speed
Lv 04 (44 / 100 EXP) → (48 / 100 EXP)
Fielding Awareness
Lv 01 (12 / 100 EXP) → (19 / 100 EXP)
DPS slowed.
Not because they wanted to.
Because the field no longer leaked.
Five overs left.
The equation tightened again.
Rahul Shetty, DPS's strongest hitter, arrived. He went after Kapil immediately, clearing midwicket with ease.
The crowd woke up.
Rudra's calves burned now—not sharply, but deeply.
Stamina
Lv 03 (88 / 100 EXP) → (91 / 100 EXP)
Rahul cut hard off Raju's bowling. The ball raced toward the rope.
Rudra ran.
Not full sprint.
Efficient line.
He slid, stopped the ball inches before the boundary, popped up, and returned it cleanly.
Two runs saved.
No celebration.
But Rahul looked back once.
That mattered.
Fielding
Lv 01 (19 / 100 EXP) → (27 / 100 EXP)
Last over.
DPS needed more than comfort allowed.
They tried to force the pace.
A mistimed lofted drive went high.
Arjun settled under it.
Catch taken.
Game tilted fully.
When the final ball was bowled, the scoreboard confirmed it:
NITK WON — Quarterfinal
Hands were shaken.
Sweaty. Tired. Honest.
Kapil clapped Rudra on the back.
"Didn't miss a single one today."
Raju added, "You don't rush. That helps everyone."
Rudra nodded.
No words needed.
Match Outcome: Quarterfinal — WIN
Fielding Skill Logged Under Match Pressure
The system stayed silent—no flashy unlocks, no announcements.
Because some skills didn't arrive with noise.
They arrived when you stopped leaking runs.
When you stopped disappearing.
When staying became enough.