In West Mambalam, cricket wasn't just a game. It was a street-level legacy.
And today, it was Mambalam Royals vs. Ashok Nagar United — a rivalry that had sparked more broken stumps and bruised egos than anyone could count.
The match was to be played on Sundaram Ground, a dusty open lot between two apartment blocks. There were no spectators' stands, but windows would open, balconies would fill, and passing autos would pause.
This wasn't school-level cricket.
This was territory war.
Mambalam Royals: The Eleven
Captain Karthik led the charge — observant, calm, tactical.
His squad:
Sathish – Fast bowler with an even faster mouth.
Ramesh – Opening batsman. Silent killer.
Ashok – All-rounder and part-time umpire. Argumentative.
Vignesh – Over-excited wicketkeeper and wannabe politician.
Hari and Dinesh – Bowling twins. Sync in delivery, chaos in fielding.
Murugan – Long-arm thrower. No control, full energy.
Prabhu – The silent planner. Karthik's right hand.
Mani – Fielder with more drops than catches.
Rajendran – The cricket "expert" who couldn't bat, bowl, or field — but never stopped talking.
And Karthik himself — stable, anchoring, and watching everything like a seasoned captain.
Enter: Rajendran, the Expert Who Couldn't
Rajendran, also known as "Raj," was the kind of guy who spoke about cricket as if he'd personally mentored Kapil Dev.
"See that bowler's grip? Wrong wrist angle. Won't get swing," he'd mutter, chewing groundnuts.
He wore a white headband ("for sun control") and gloves he found in a bicycle shop.
"I've studied Tendulkar's footwork for years," he said, tapping his bat… which still had the price sticker on it.
He couldn't connect bat to ball even by accident.
But Karthik kept him in the team.
Why?
Because sometimes spirit mattered more than stats.
And today, that decision would pay off in ways no one expected.
Toss and Start
Ravi from Ashok Nagar United won the toss. They chose to bat.
Karthik smiled.
Pressure worked better while defending, but today, chasing was part of the plan.
"Boys," he said to his team, "let's play smart. Field tight. Don't get into arguments. Just trust your position."
Raj nodded. "And remember, only bowl outswing on a dusty pitch. I read that in 'Cricket Vision' magazine."
Sathish rolled his eyes. "You also said banana swing works."
"It does," Raj replied seriously. "If you eat one before bowling."
Laughter.
The First Innings
The Royals bowled tightly.
Sathish got Ravi out early — a top edge caught by Murugan on his third attempt.
Saravanan, the vice-captain of Ashok Nagar, powered a few sixes.
The twins bowled in tandem, Hari building pressure, Dinesh losing it with extras.
Raj kept shouting advice from third man: "That length is too full! Go wide of off stump!"
"Then YOU come bowl!" shouted Ashok.
"Strategic observation is my role," Raj declared proudly.
Eventually, Ashok Nagar posted 72 runs in 12 overs.
A fair target.
The Chase Begins
Ramesh started strong. Karthik anchored.
Together they reached 41 in 6 overs.
Then came disaster.
Ramesh, trying to finish it quickly, was caught.
Vignesh came in and went out just as fast — bowled on the second ball.
Ashok hit two boundaries but fell to an overconfident slog.
Then Murugan tried to run a triple and got run out halfway.
Suddenly, the Royals were 66/6.
6 runs to win, 1 over left.
And no proper batsman left.
Rajendran was next.
Everyone laughed.
"You want me to go?" he asked nervously.
"You've been explaining technique all day," Karthik smiled. "Now go show us."
The Unexpected Turn
Raj walked in wearing his headband, waving to the crowd of five school kids and one dog.
First ball: he stepped back, closed his eyes, and swung hard.
He missed the ball by three feet and nearly hit the stumps with his bat.
Ashok shouted, "Why are you dancing, da?"
Second ball: same wild swing.
Everyone groaned.
"Just get out and let someone else try," Sathish muttered.
Karthik, from non-striker's end, called out, "Raj. Just tap the ball. No drama."
Third ball: a miracle.
The bowler delivered a low full toss.
Raj tried to defend but inside-edged it toward fine leg.
The ball trickled past a fielder distracted by chewing peanuts.
They ran two runs.
Fourth ball: bowled wide.
Tension.
3 needed from 3 balls.
Next ball: Raj edged again — this time accidentally — over slip.
FOUR runs.
Game over.
Mambalam Royals won.
Aftermath
Everyone went wild.
Ashok lifted Raj into the air. Vignesh kissed the stump. The twins ran in opposite directions.
Raj took a bow.
"I told you. Match awareness."
"Luck awareness, da!" Sathish yelled.
But Karthik walked over and patted Raj's shoulder.
"Well played," he said.
"Thanks," Raj said. "What exactly did I do?"
"You did something no one expected. Including you."
Karthik's Night Note
That evening, in his room, Karthik wrote in his journal:
"Leadership is not about choosing perfect people.
It's about giving imperfect people a chance — and trusting that they'll surprise you.
Raj wasn't the best.
He was just there when it mattered.
And that makes all the difference."