The silence of the Oakridge pavilion was total, broken only by the hum of the electronic scoreboard updating its display:
Oakridge International: 2/1 (0.6 Overs)
Y. Ahuja: c. Kabir b. Roy — 1 (6)
In the middle of the lush green field, the St. Peter’s players were floating on air. Kabir was still clutching the ball like it was made of solid gold, his eyes wide as he looked at Rohan.
"Bro... you just dismissed the State U-16 captain in the very first over," Kabir squeaked, his voice cracking with pure disbelief. "In his own backyard!"
Aryan stood a few yards away, his arms limp at his sides. He looked at the spot on the pitch where the ball had nipped away at nearly 130 km/h, then looked down at his own hands. The bitter truth hit him like a physical blow: I couldn’t have survived that ball either.
From the St. Peter’s dugout, Coach Sharma slowly sat down on a plastic chair. His hands were still trembling as he stared at Rohan, who was casually taking his cap back from the umpire.
129.4 km/h, Coach Sharma thought, his mind racing. He’s fifteen years old. He has no elite academy training, no state-sponsored dietary plan, and he’s wearing scuffed turf shoes. Where on earth did this boy come from?
A few feet away, the Oakridge coach—a former domestic league player wearing a crisp team polo—was furiously tapping on his tablet. He rewound the video feed captured by their automated tactical cameras, zooming in on Rohan’s release point and seam presentation.
"Look at the kinetic chain," the Oakridge coach muttered to his assistant, his face grave. "No energy wasted at the crease. The front leg braces like a steel pillar. That’s not medium-pace luck. That kid is a natural-born pace demon."
The new Oakridge batsman, a tall left-hander named Dev, walked out to the middle. He was visibly tense, tapping his bat three times on the ground, his eyes constantly darting up toward Rohan at the start of his run-up.
Rohan rolled his shoulders. The +15 boost to his Physique and Stamina meant he wasn’t panting. His heart rate was completely steady.
Ding!
[Reputation Debuff Triggered: [Giant Slayer’s Aura]]
Effect: Opposing batsman’s focus reduced by 10%. Panic index elevated.
Rohan began his run-up for the second over. He didn’t even need to use maximum effort. Just his smooth, blueprint-perfect action was enough to create pure terror on the pitch.
Ball 1: A seaming delivery that whizzed past Dev’s outside edge. Dev didn’t even commit to a shot; he just froze.
Ball 2: A sharp, rising delivery aimed straight at the chest. Dev awkwardly fended it off, the ball dropping safely in front of short leg.
Ball 3: A toe-crushing yorker at 127 km/h. Dev barely got the toe of his bat down in time, squirting the ball to mid-on for a panicked single.
The Oakridge top order was completely paralyzed. The swagger that had defined them thirty minutes ago had vanished, replaced by survival instincts. They weren’t playing to build a massive score anymore; they were playing just to protect their stumps.
By the time Rohan finished his opening five-over spell, his figures read:
5 Overs — 2 Maidens — 7 Runs — 2 Wickets.
He had single-handedly broken the spine of Oakridge’s formidable batting lineup.
When Coach Sharma called Rohan back to the boundary to rest his shoulders, the entire St. Peter’s dugout stood up to applaud. Even Aryan, swallowed by a strange mix of lingering jealousy and profound awe, gave a small, reluctant clap.
"Take a breather, Roy," Coach Sharma said, handing Rohan a cold water bottle himself—a gesture he had never extended to any player in his ten years of coaching. "Sensational spell. Absolutely sensational."
"Thanks, Coach," Rohan said evenly, taking a long sip. He didn’t celebrate wildly. His eyes were already scanning the rest of the field, looking at the electronic scoreboard.
Oakridge was reeling at 38/3 in the 12th over. The shock of losing Yashvardhan early had triggered a collapse, as Aryan and the second spinner managed to capitalize on the opposition’s utter panic.
Rohan pulled up his System interface in his mind.
[Active Main Quest: The Giant Slayer]
• Objective 1: Take the wicket of Yashvardhan Ahuja (COMPLETED)
• Objective 2: Restrict Oakridge International to a score below 150 (IN PROGRESS - 38/3)
We have them by the throat, Rohan thought, his eyes narrowing as he watched the Oakridge batsmen nervously nudge another delivery for a single. Now we just have to crush them completely.
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