20th January 2013 – Basavanagudi Grounds, Bangalore
The dusty stretch behind the Ganesha temple didn't look like much—just an uneven patch of red soil hemmed by cement blocks and coconut husks, with a cow ambling casually past the ropes as if it, too, belonged to the playing eleven. But for Arjun Desai, this ground was his Eden Gardens. His Lord's. His Oval.
The Basavanagudi Annual Street Cricket League, or BASCL Trophy as the locals called it, was more than just a tournament. It was the neighborhood heartbeat, stitched together with fourteen hyper-competitive teams, leather ball cricket, and sponsorships from legends like Raju's Tea Stall, Giri Medicals, and Nalli's Chaats.
But for boys like Arjun, it wasn't about the prize money.
It was about respect.
And today, Arjun had something to prove.
The Final: Southend Warriors vs. NR Colony Titans
The Southend Warriors, Arjun's ragtag team, were underdogs in every sense—mismatched jerseys, one bat with a crack near the toe, and a threadbare kitbag with a red SG ball that had more scars than stitches. Their opponents? The reigning champions: the NR Colony Titans. Confident, polished, even smug. Led by Vicky "The Wall" Shetty, a KSCA camp product who carried three bats in a duffel bag cleaner than some homes.
The crowd was loud and layered—fathers in lungis perched on parapet walls, aunties balancing toddlers on their hips, and teenagers hanging off trees. A rusted mic, wired to an ancient speaker, blared commentary in a mix of broken English and proud Kannada.
Vicky won the toss.
"We'll bat," he said, his grin practiced. "Let's see if your underarm magician can handle the heat."
Arjun spun the ball in his palm, saying nothing. The pitch was patchy, the good-length area cracked like dry skin. Not exactly spin-friendly.
Didn't matter.
He had bowled on tiled verandas, on wet rooftops, on footpaths painted with turmeric and rangoli.
This was just another wicket.
First Over – Arjun Desai
He opened the bowling—a spinner taking the new ball. The crowd chuckled.
Arjun ignored them.
Field set sharp.
Short midwicket crouched, point tight, long-on deep. A single slipper at fine leg.
1.1 – Tossed wide of off. Sharp dip. The batter drove and missed.
1.2 – Faster one. Skidded onto pad. Dot.
1.3 – Big loop, undercut. Drifted in, turned out. Vicky stepped out, mistimed the loft. Caught at long-on. Wicket!!
The crowd erupted. Kids leapt over bikes. Mothers clapped over shopping bags.
1.4 – Arm ball. Flat, fast. Dot.1.5 – Slower. Backspinner. Jabbed out. Dot.
1.6 – Seam-up release. Quick. Edge past keeper. Four!!
One over. One wicket. Four runs. Six questions in the batsmen's minds.
Second Over – Ravi "The Meter" Gowda
Ravi's bowling was like a ticking watch—predictable, relentless.
2.1 – Outside off. Cut away. Four!!
2.2 – Back of a length. Two runs.
2.3 – Full. Trapped the batsman in front. Wicket!!
2.4 – Tight stump-to-stump lines. Three dots in a row.
2.5 – Drifted to leg. Flicked nonchalantly. Four!!
2.6 – Good length outside off. The batsman stepped out and lofted. Six over extra
cover!!
Twenty runs in two overs, but two wickets down. Ravi had brought a pause. One over of stability. Still, 20/2 after two.
Third Over – Arjun Desai Returns
Grip firmer now.
3.1 – Reverse wrist flick. Dot.
3.2 – Loop. Edge. Two runs.
3.3 – Yorker. Leg-stump. Dug out. Single.
3.4 – Carrom ball. Beaten. Dot.
3.5 – Undercutter. Stumps shattered. Wicket!!
3.6 – Arm ball. Bounce. Dot.
The chant began. First from the kids. Then the crowd.
"Arjun! Arjun!"
Spell Summary:
Four overs. Seventeen runs. Four wickets.
A masterclass of variation: sliders, seam-ups, loopers, carroms. The Titans fell for 94 in 15 overs.
The Chase:
The Warriors were shaky. 23 for 2 in five overs.
Arjun walked in at No. 4.
"Time to earn my rupees," he muttered.
He started careful—two here, four there. Then he shifted gears.
A sweep for four. A charge down the pitch for six. A reverse-sweep that had the umpire applauding.
Composed chaos.
He reached fifty off 34 balls. Six runs needed.
A fuller ball outside off. Arjun stepped out, lifted it high over extra cover.
Clang.!!
It landed on the lid of a steel food cart.
Game over.
Final Score: Southend Warriors won by 6 wickets
Arjun Desai – 51 (Player of the Match)
A Tap on the Shoulder
He was packing his kit when the umpire approached—a tall man with a coach's whistle around his neck and salt in his moustache.
"I've seen hundreds bowl off-spin," he said. "But none this young who flights it so bravely. Name?"
"Arjun. Arjun Desai."
"Mahesh Nayak," he said, offering his hand. "Coach at Basavanagudi Cricket Academy. Come train with me."
Arjun hesitated. "My parents… won't say yes. Not without a real reason."
"You want real?" Nayak said. "If you train, I'll register you for the KSCA U-16 Leather Ball Tournament. Play well, you get noticed. Be exceptional, and you go places."
He handed Arjun a white card.
"Practice starts Monday. Doesn't matter if you've got whites. Just show up."
Later That Night
Arjun lay on the terrace, under the stars, diary in his lap.
In one hand, Raju's ten-rupee note.
In the other, Mahesh Nayak's card.
He folded both into a page marked Step Two.
Next to it, he drew a check mark.
Step Three: Try out for KSCA U-16
One rupee at a time.
One over at a time.
Closer to Chinnaswamy.
Closer to something real.
The Next Morning
He woke before sunrise, echoes of the crowd still in his head. But the high from the match faded fast. Instead, a single conversation played on loop.
He saw it again: his parents on the veranda, filter coffee steaming, the card tight in his hand.
"I met a coach," he'd said.
"You always meet someone," his father murmured.
"He's serious," Arjun replied. "KSCA Under-16 trials. If I do well—"
His mother looked unsure. "And studies?"
"We'll meet the coach," his father finally said. "We'll see."
The Meeting
That afternoon, they walked past the Hanuman temple. The nets stood like scaffolding around a dream.
Coach Nayak greeted them with calm authority.
"I don't promise miracles," he said. "But I can give him the structure. If he commits, I'll see he plays in this season's trials."
His father nodded slowly. "Let's give it a try."
By evening, Arjun had a KSCA U-16 application form in his bag. His name already penciled into the academy's team list.
Whispers Begin
The next morning, murmurs rippled through the academy.
"New kid's in the team?"
"Straight away?"
"Coach's pet."
Arjun heard it all.
But he said nothing.
He wasn't there to argue.
He was there to play.
Coach's Advice:
After the nets, Coach Nayak pulled him aside.
"You'll hear some noise," he said. "Ignore it. Show them with your game."
He tossed a tennis ball to Arjun.
"Your batting is clever, but you overcommit early. Let the ball come to you."
Arjun nodded.
"And bowling—your variations are good, but pressure comes from consistency. Hit your spot five out of six. Then spin becomes a weapon."
A pause.
"And don't slack on fielding. Every run saved is a run scored. Improve your throws. Quick pickups. No lazy chases."
A smile.
"Tomorrow, you start fitness with the senior boys. Wear running shoes."
That night, Arjun sat cross-legged on his bed, aching but alive. The form was signed. The whispers were behind him.
The goal was clear.
Closer to KSCA.
Closer to Karnataka blue.
Step Three: In progress.
Auther note: In the initial chapters I think Til Arc 3 I'll make sure that there are imperfections and there is constant learning in the old novel. There will be no sudden timeskip where he goes from being a novice in one chapter, and suddenly gains skill. So it'll be slow burning chapters. I will not add commentary Till he plays for state Or higher tournaments And majority of the time, I will try to add audience perspective