Chapter 16: West Delhi Team B vs Eagles A

As I woke up early in the morning, I could feel the excitement building inside of me. Today is my first ever cricket match and I can't wait to get out on the field and show everyone what I'm capable of.

I jumped out of bed, eager to start the day. I quickly got dressed, pulling on my cricket whites and slipping on my spikes. We were allowed to take our kits with us as we had to get to the match venue on our own.

As I looked in the mirror, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. I've been working so hard to get to this point, and now it's finally here.

Though this jersey is not the blue I wanted but it's where everything starts.

Vipin Chaudhary - 69

As I was having my breakfast, my friend Virat came to pick me up. "Hey Vipin, are you ready for the match?" he asked me. "I'm so excited, I've been waiting for this day for so long," I replied. "You have the first match and I am looking forward to seeing you play," he said.

We both got on our bicycles and headed to the match venue. On the way, we talked about the match and our opponents. "Vipin, just remember to stay calm out there and play your game. You've got this," Virat said, giving me a pat on the back. I was grateful for his encouragement and couldn't wait to put it into action.

Upon arriving at the venue, I met with my team. I parted ways with Virat as he went to join his team, as they also had a match scheduled later.

Soon the batting order made by our captain was ready and it was a follows:

1. Rahul Sharma (Right Handed Batsman)

2. Sunil Gupta (Right Handed Batsman)

3. Amit Jain (Right Handed Batsman) (C) (WK)

4. Suresh Sharma (Right Handed Batsman)

5. Vipin Chaudhary (Left Handed All-Rounder)

6. Rajesh Kumar (Right Handed All-Rounder)

7. Prakash Pandya (Right Handed All-Rounder)

8. Sachin Patel (Right Handed Wrist Spinner Bowler)

9. Anil Patel (Right Handed Fast Medium Bowler)

10. Arun Singh (Right Handed Finger Spinner Bowler)

11. Vinay Dhawan (Left Arm Medium Bowler)

The match is taking place on a sunny afternoon at the Hari Nagar Sports Complex at Mayanagar. The opposing team, Eagles, is known for their exceptional fielding skills and are considered one of the best fielding teams in the league.

Our team huddled together, discussing our strategy for the match. "We've got to make the most of this opportunity," said the captain. "If we win the toss and choose to bowl first, we can really put the pressure on the opposing team and limit their scoring potential."

"I agree," said Rajesh, one of the all-rounders, "If we can stop them at a low score, their fielding won't affect us as much."

"But what about the pitch conditions?" asked Rahul, the opening batsman. "It looks like it's going to be a bit slow and dry, so it might be more beneficial to bat first."

"That's true. Our bowlers are some of the best in the league, and I have confidence in their abilities to make the most of the pitch conditions." said the captain.

After a bit more discussion, the team ultimately decided to bowl first, in hopes of putting the opposing team under pressure and limiting their score. Soon, we won the toss and the captain asked to bowl first.

As our team moved onto the field, the captain, Amit Jain, took charge and set the field, positioning the players in strategic positions to maximise our chances of stopping the opposing team's batting.

The first over started off with a bit of tension as Anil took the ball from the captain. The opposing team's opening batsman stepped up to the crease, ready to take on the first bowler of the match.

Anil began his run up, and delivered the first ball. It was a bit wide, and the batsman made the most of it by slicing it through the point region for a boundary.

The next ball was a bit of a fuller delivery and the batsman couldn't resist, hitting it for a huge six over the long on boundary, the crowd went wild as the ball sailed into the stands. Anil bowled a couple more deliveries, but the batsman were able to rotate the strike effectively and ended up scoring 12 runs off that over.

In the first over, Anil bowled a tight line and length and managed to keep the runs to a minimum. However, the opposing team managed to score 12 runs, including a six hit off of Sachin's second delivery.

As the match progressed, our team was able to slow down the runs, but we still hadn't been able to take any wickets. The openers for the opposing team were playing steadily on the ground, and it seemed like it was going to be a tough battle for us. But then, our captain called upon me to bowl the last over of the power play. Their score was 47-0 in 5 overs. RR: 9.4.

I walked up to the captain, who gave me a pat on the back and said "You got this, Vipin. Just stick to your line and length and we'll get these guys out." I nodded, feeling a rush of adrenaline as I made my way to the bowling crease. My heart was racing as I looked at the scoreboard, the opponents were already ahead with a score of 47 runs in just 5 overs. I knew that I had to bowl exceptionally well to make a comeback for my team.

I took the ball and retreated back for my run up. Being the youngest player who hasn't played a single game yet didn't help me gain my team's trust. I have to prove my worth at this moment. I closed my eyes and released a heavy breath. I ran down to the pitch and was ready to release the bowl.