Week Ten began with no whistles, no warm-up calls, and no mentor huddles. The camp had entered its evaluation phase.
The mentors were now just spectators. No coaching. No corrections. No tactical sheets. Every decision, every movement, every mistake was now a data point. Ratings were logged silently from the pavilion.
The players had been split into four squads:
Vijay Hazare Camp → Team Red
Group A
Group B
Syed Ali Trophy Camp → Team Green
Group A
Group B
Today was Inter-Group Match 1: Team Red – Group A vs. Team Green – Group A Format: 20 overs per side
The Leadership Shift
Nikhil was placed in Team Red – Group A, but this time, he wasn't vice-captain.
The team was led by Mayank Rawat, the senior pacer recently picked in the IPL auction. In the previous week's simulation, Mayank had captained against Nikhil—and something had clicked.
He'd seen Nikhil's field placements, his quiet recalibrations, his ability to absorb pressure without flinching. He understood Nikhil's game better than Nikhil did.
Now, they were on the same side.
First Innings – Batting Without Briefing
The match began at 9:00 AM sharp. No mentor instructions. Just the players, the pitch, and the scoreboard.
Mayank won the toss and chose to bat.
The top order gave a brisk start—36 runs in 4 overs. Nikhil walked in at number five.
Mayank didn't say a word. Just a nod.
Nikhil understood.
He played with rhythm—rotating strike, running hard, nudging gaps. He wasn't trying to dominate. He was trying to build.
But the pitch was slow. The outfield sluggish. Boundaries were rare.
Nikhil finished with 22 off 18 balls, anchoring a middle-order phase that kept the innings alive.
Team Red posted 147/6 in 20 overs.
Fielding Phase – Mayank's Trust
During the break, Mayank handed Nikhil the fielding chart.
"You set the field," he said. "I'll handle the bowling."
It wasn't delegation. It was trust.
Nikhil adjusted the ring—tight cover, deep square, short third. He rotated fielders based on batter profiles, not just textbook positions.
The first 6 overs were tight—Team Green at 41/2.
Mayank bowled the 7th and 9th overs himself—sharp, swinging deliveries, one clean bowled, one edge to slip.
Nikhil bowled the 12th—off-spin, slow through the air, teasing flight. He gave away just six runs.
By the 16th over, Team Green was 118/5.
The required rate was climbing. The pressure was real.
Final Overs – No Coaching, Just Choices
The mentors sat in the pavilion, silent. Raina scribbled notes. Kaif watched with folded arms. Coach Rameshwar leaned back, expression unreadable.
No one interfered.
The players were on their own.
Mayank brought back the pacer who'd leaked runs earlier. Nikhil adjusted the field tighter, pulled long-off straighter, and signaled a slower ball.
It worked.
Dot. Single. Dot. Wicket.
Team Green finished at 139/7.
Team Red – Group A won by 8 runs.
Post-Match Silence
There was no debrief. No mentor feedback. Just a scoreboard and a silent rating sheet.
Players walked off the field, tired but alert. Every move had been watched. Every decision weighed.
Mayank walked beside Nikhil.
"You see the game like a mirror," he said. "You reflect what's needed. That's rare."
Nikhil didn't reply. He just nodded.
Back in Room 101, he opened his notebook and wrote:
Week 10 – Inter-Group Match 1 (20 overs) Role: Middle-order anchor, field strategist Lesson: Leadership isn't always vocal. Sometimes it's visible. Fix: Improve boundary options on slow pitches. Reminder: When someone sees you clearer than you see yourself—listen.