Week Three began with a limp.
The early morning jogs were slower. The stretches tighter. The once-crisp footwork now carried the weight of fatigue. After two weeks of relentless fitness and technical drills, the camp had entered a phase of collective soreness.
The physio room was full by midweek—ice packs, compression wraps, and quiet groans. Two players were officially ruled out: one with a severe hamstring pull, the other with a twisted ankle that refused to settle. From thirty, the camp was now twenty-eight.
Coach Rameshwar didn't offer sympathy. "This is elite cricket. If your body breaks, your dream pauses. Recovery is part of the game."
By Friday, the tone shifted.
The real challenge was about to begin.
Week Four: The Division
On Saturday morning, the players were called to the main pavilion. Two large whiteboards stood side by side. At the top of each:
Team Red – Captain: Mayank Rawat
Team Green – Captain: Divakar Singh
Each team had 14 players, with 3 substitutes. The names were listed alphabetically beneath.
Nikhil scanned the boards. His name was under Team Green.
He exhaled slowly.
Mayank was a known name—tall, composed, and already a Ranji player. He had the calm of someone who'd faced first-class pressure.
Divakar, on the other hand, was fire. Aggressive, vocal, and sharp-eyed. He had captained UP in the last Vijay Hazare Trophy and was already penciled into this year's squad. His place wasn't up for debate.
Nikhil wasn't disappointed. He was energized.
He looked around at his teammates—most were older, more experienced, with years of district and state-level cricket behind them. But that didn't intimidate him. It motivated him.
He turned to Deepak one of this new friendin camp, who had made it as a reserve in Team Red. "Looks like I'm the newbie in the room. With least experience on this platform"
Deepak grinned. "Which means you've got the most time to catch up."
Nikhil nodded. "Or the most to prove."
Mindset Over Ego
That evening, the teams met separately with their captains. Divakar addressed Team Green in the strategy room.
"I'm not here to babysit," he said bluntly. "I'm here to win. If you're in this team, it means the coaches see something in you. But belief isn't enough. You have to deliver."
He looked around the room, eyes pausing on Nikhil for a second longer than the rest.
"I don't care if you've played Ranji or just zonals. If you can win moments, you'll play. If not, you'll sit."
Nikhil didn't flinch. He respected the honesty. He welcomed the challenge.
That night, he sat by the dormitory window, notebook open, breeze rustling the pages. He wrote:
"Week Three: Lesson: The body breaks before the will. Fix: Prioritize recovery. Respect rest.
Week Four: Lesson: Competition reveals character. Fix: Learn from leaders. Observe patterns. Goal: Contribute in any role. Reminder: I'm not behind. I'm building."
The teams were set. The matches would begin next week.
And Nikhil was ready—not to dominate, but to develop.