The next morning began exactly as the others had.
The whistle cut through the air, the boys formed a stretching circle, and silence settled over the ground as bodies loosened and minds focused.
Nothing had changed around Rudra.
But inside him, something had.
Repetition — Day Two
Coach Raghav stood where he always did, slightly behind the nets, notebook open and pen resting against the page. He did not greet the group, because greetings implied warmth, and warmth had no role here.
The drills were deliberately simple.
Forward defensive blocks played with full control.
Leaves outside off stump taken without exaggeration.
Straight drives struck at half power, focused on balance rather than force.
The cycle repeated without variation.
Again, and again, and again.
Some boys began to fidget. A few shifted their stance unnecessarily, as if change itself might earn attention.
Rudra felt the opposite.
With each repetition, his breathing slowed and his mind narrowed. He was not chasing excellence today. He was accumulating correctness, one clean movement at a time.
System — Passive Observation Mode
As sweat darkened his shirt and his legs began to burn, the familiar internal awareness surfaced quietly, like breath returning after a long hold.
The system did not announce itself. It never did during honest work.
Batting Timing continued its gradual climb, experience accumulating through controlled contact.
Balance improved incrementally, reinforced by stable head position and repeatable foot placement.
Focus deepened as monotony tested attention rather than excitement.
Hand–eye coordination advanced through sustained precision rather than speed.
There were no sounds, no flashes, no artificial confirmation.
Only numbers moving slowly upward, reflecting effort that could not be faked.
When Others Drifted
By the third net rotation, cracks appeared elsewhere.
Kunal Verma began forcing shots that did not need force. Sameer Patel attempted improvisation, mistaking variation for progress.
Coach Raghav's pen stopped counting.
Not because they made a single mistake.
Because the same mistake happened twice.
Rudra understood the rule instantly.
The coach did not punish error. He punished the inability to repeat correctness.
Fielding — Unplanned Growth
After batting came fielding drills.
Flat catches taken on the move.
Throw-and-follow sequences repeated without pause.
Balance tested during late pickups and off-angle throws.
One ball skidded unexpectedly, forcing Rudra into a late dive. His chest scraped the grass, but the ball stopped cleanly in his hands and was released without delay.
No one reacted.
That was fine.
The system responded anyway, registering the movement as valid execution rather than effort.
Fielding fundamentals had begun to exist as a measurable skill.
Rudra blinked once, then moved on.
So intention was not required.
Only clean completion.
The Count
"Rudra," Coach Raghav said quietly, without looking up.
"Thirty-three."
That number was higher than the previous day.
Rudra acknowledged it with a nod. His heart rate remained steady, his expression unchanged.
There was no pride in the count.
Only confirmation.
Post-Session Stillness
While other boys gathered near the water drums, laughing and replaying moments aloud, Rudra stood apart, breathing evenly as his body cooled.
Pain was present, but structured. Fatigue existed, but it was organized rather than chaotic.
He allowed the system panel to surface fully, not out of need, but out of understanding.
His overall progression was modest. His physical stats showed strain but no danger. His mental parameters remained stable. His skill values had all moved forward, even if none had leapt.
Nothing looked impressive.
Everything looked reliable.
Understanding the System
Rudra closed the panel.
Now he was certain of how it worked.
The system did not measure days. It measured inputs within each session.
Miss a day, and regression followed naturally.
Work carelessly, and skills stalled without punishment.
Work cleanly, and progress accumulated without reward.
There was no judgment coded into it.
Only arithmetic.
Quiet Alignment
As Rudra walked off the ground with his bat resting across his shoulder, he felt something unfamiliar but welcome.
It was not excitement.
It was not ambition.
It was alignment.
Coach Raghav counted repetitions without emotion.
The system recorded effort without bias.
And Rudra counted days, knowing that time itself was now his ally.
Another day had been completed.
Another layer had been laid.
No one noticed.
And that was exactly how it needed to be.
Because somewhere beyond repetition, beyond counting, and beyond silence—
The system was still watching.
And tomorrow, it would expect the same thing again.
KSCA BANGALORE DISTRICT – UNDER 14 (PROBABLES SQUAD)
(School & Academy Performance Based)
BATTERS
Rudra Rao Sharma – NITK English Medium School
Role: Top-order batter / elite fielder
Profile: Balance-driven technique, high repetition tolerance, low error rate
Varun Khanna – FTS Sports School
Role: Opening batter
Profile: Compact defense, strong back-foot play, academy-polished
Rahul Iyer – St. Merry's High School
Role: No.3 batter
Profile: Anchor role, temperament under pressure
Arjun Malhotra – NITK English Medium School
Role: Middle-order batter
Profile: Stroke-maker, excels against spin
ALL-ROUNDERS
Kunal Mehta – DPS South Bangalore
Role: Batting all-rounder (medium pace)
Profile: Reliable contributor, strong match awareness
Aakash Verma – Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya
Role: Seam-bowling all-rounder
Profile: Natural athlete, endurance-based performance
WICKETKEEPER
Sameer Qureshi (WK) – DPS South Bangalore
Role: Wicketkeeper-batter
Profile: Clean glove work, quick release, improving footwork
BOWLERS
Nikhil Rao – SAM Public School
Role: Right-arm medium-fast
Profile: Consistent line-length, swing with the new ball
Arvind Patil – BGS International School
Role: Right-arm off-spinner
Profile: Control-first bowler, strong economy rate
Suresh Naik – VVS Cricket Academy
Role: Left-arm orthodox spinner
Profile: Variation through pace, tactically mature
Irfan Shaikh – Government Urdu School
Role: Fast bowler
Profile: Raw pace, high risk–high reward, fitness monitored
12th / ROTATIONAL PLAYER
Ritesh Nair – National Hill View School
Role: Utility player
Profile: Covers multiple roles, selected for adaptability
TEAM PROFILE (SELECTORS' VIEW)
Cricketer Rank: District Players → Professional Tier
Skill Level Range: Lv 11–20 (Professional Band)
Selection Bias:
Technique over flair
Repeatability over brilliance
Physical safety over short-term dominance
No player here is "special" yet.
Every player here is replaceable.
That is exactly how district cricket begins.
NARRATIVE SETUP FOR NEXT CHAPTER
This squad sets up cleanly for:
🔹 Internal competition within nets
🔹 Rudra vs academy-heavy batters (FTS / DPS)
🔹 Selectors watching error rate, not runs
🔹 First KSCA camp at M. Chinnaswamy auxiliary grounds
🔹 The moment Rudra realizes district cricket is not about entry—but survival