The morning of Day 5 in Week Ten arrived with a rare gift: a full day of rest.
No match simulations. No tactical drills. No fitness tests.
Just silence.
The players woke late, stretched slowly, and wandered into the mess hall like students on a holiday. Even the coaches kept their distance. The mentors, for once, didn't carry clipboards.
But rest didn't mean stillness.
The Points Table – After One Match Each
By mid-morning, the updated inter-group simulation standings were posted outside the strategy room. Each team had played one 20-over match. The results were early, but telling:
Team Captain Matches Played Wins Losses Points
Red Group A (Vijay Hazare) Mayank Rawat 1 1 0 2
Green Group A (Syed Ali) Faizan Qureshi 1 0 1 0
Red Group B (Vijay Hazare) Divakar Singh 1 0 1 0
Green Group B (Syed Ali) Rishabh Noorani 1 1 0 2
Nikhil glanced at the board. His team—Red Group A, led by Mayank—was off to a strong start. But he didn't linger. He had other plans for the day.
The Off-Day Practice
By noon, a familiar voice called out from the dorm corridor.
"Oi, Srivastam! You skipping drills today?"
It was Arav, grinning, cricket shoes in hand. Behind him were three others—batters, bowlers, and one keeper. All friends. All restless.
Nikhil smiled. "Not skipping. Just waiting."
They headed to the side nets—no coaches, no cones, no schedules. Just a ball, a bat, and the rhythm of play.
Arav bowled off-spin, teasing Nikhil into drives.
Nikhil practiced strike rotation, running hard between cones.
The keeper worked on stumpings.
One of the batters tried reverse sweeps, laughing at every miss.
It wasn't structured.
It was joyful.
The Day Continues
After nets, they sat in the stands, sipping nimbu paani and sharing stories—of school matches, missed catches, and the one time Arav hit a six that broke a classroom window.
Nikhil didn't speak much. But he listened. And he laughed.
Later, they jogged a few laps—not for fitness, but for fun.
By evening, the sun dipped low, casting golden light across the academy.
Nikhil's Log
Week 10 – Rest Day Status: 1 win, tied at top Captain: Mayank Rawat Syed Ali Captains: Faizan (Green A), Rishabh (Green B) Lesson: Rest isn't just recovery. It's reconnection. Fix: None today. Just breathe. Reminder: The game resumes tomorrow. But today, I remembered why I love it.
Tomorrow, the matches would return.
But today, the camp had exhaled.
And Nikhil had found rhythm—not in drills, but in friendship.