Chapter 134: Prelude (3561 words)
Author’s Note:🏆
Hey everyone! Before we jump into today’s chapter, I just wanted to say a massive thank you for reading. Your votes, comments, and support mean the world to me. Happy reading! 💖
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If you like the story, remember to give a review. It’ll motivate me to continue with same passion ✌️😁
And, Extra love to some readers who are supporting me ❤️
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The 22nd of May, 2014, etched itself permanently into IPL history as the night a brewing tempest of biblical proportions was silenced entirely by a literal deluge.
The narrative alignment had been near-perfect: nineteen-year-old Rocky Rudra, radiating that trademark, cold-eyed intensity, returning to the sprawling amphitheater of Eden Gardens to settle the final outstanding score on his ledger.
With KKR standing uniquely as the sole franchise to have inflicted a blemish on the RCB juggernaut earlier in the season, the anticipation surrounding the “Wolf” hunting down Sunil Narine’s mystery spin had reached fever pitch.
Across Kolkata, a nervous, pulsating energy gripped the city far beyond the boundaries of sport.
Inside the colonial-era office blocks of Dalhousie and along the bustling, fragrant tea stalls of Gariahat, workplace productivity ground to a complete halt.
Instead of refreshing live scorecards, millions of eyes remained locked upward, interrogating the bruised, darkening sky.
For the legions of KKR faithful, the mood was laced with an unprecedented strain of psychological tension.
While their pride in the home team’s gritty resilience remained absolute, the sheer statistical violence Rocky had unleashed across the league—amassing an astronomical 787 runs across 11 matches—cast a long, intimidating shadow of dread over the stands.
When those first heavy, fat droplets struck the scorching asphalt outside the gates, a collective, city-wide groan echoed through the streets.
By 8:00 PM, the legendary turf of Eden Gardens vanished entirely beneath an expansive sea of heavy blue tarpaulins.
Despite its world-renowned reputation, the stadium’s drainage system stood helpless against the ferocious, tropical monsoon-style cloudburst.
The much-anticipated “Reckoning” had officially been drowned out by the sky.
____
Reddit.
r/Cricket Reddit Thread: [Post-Match] RCB vs KKR — Match Abandoned
u/KnightRider_99 (KKR): “I am not even going to lie—I prayed for this. I saw Rudra in the nets yesterday and he looked like he wanted to hit the ball into the Hooghly River. I’ll take the 1 point and run! 🏃♂️💨”
u/Dhoni_TheFinisher (CSK): “ARE YOU KIDDING ME? We needed KKR to lose so we could jump to #2. Now they stay ahead on NRR. Even the weather is conspiring against CSK this year. Ffs. 😤”
u/Bangalore_Boy (RCB): “11 wins, 1 loss, 1 NR. We are officially God tier. But I’m gutted. Rudra vs Narine at Eden was the clash of the decade. We’ve been robbed of a classic.”
u/CricStat_2014 (Neutral): “Just realized Rudra’s NRR contribution is so high that even with a washout, RCB is sitting at +3.12. That is genuinely broken. It’s like playing a video game on Easy mode.”
u/Kolkata_King (KKR): “Everyone is ridiculing us for being happy about the rain, but you didn’t see the look in Rocky’s eyes during the practice. That guy is a predator. My heart couldn’t have taken another 30-ball 100 today. 💜”
u/Mumbai_Paltan (MI): “We’re struggling for 5th place and these guys are complaining about a washout at the top. Must be nice. RCB fans, can we have Rudra back? We’ll trade our entire middle order for this.”
u/TheWolf_11 (Rudra Loyalist): “He missed one game, had one no result, and he still has 787 runs. If this game happened, he’d be at 850+ tonight. He’s outperforming entire teams by himself. 📈”
u/ranchi_kings (CSK): “The frustration is real. If KKR had lost tonight, the race for #2 would have been wide open for the final games. Now we’re stuck hoping for a Punjab collapse.”
u/Eden_Rudra (Local): “At least they’re refunding the tickets, but can I get a refund for my broken heart? I waited 4 hours in the rain just to see a glimpse of the Wolf. 💔”
u/Gauti_Grit (KKR): “Gambhir probably had a 10-page plan for Rudra, and Nature just said “Nah.” Honestly, the suspense for the playoffs is going to be unbearable now.”
u/Urduwood_Contrast (Neutral): “Is it just me or does Rocky Rudra look more like a movie star every time the camera zooms in? The rain on his face during the pitch inspection… the girls in my house have stopped watching the cricket and are just staring at the screen. 😂”
u/Lazy_Lark (Neutral): “I couldn’t focus on work all day. I was literally staring at the weather radar like it was a live stream. This washout is a crime against humanity.”
u/Punjab_Power (KXIP): “We’re still #3, but KKR getting a point here makes our last games a must-win. Thanks a lot, rain.🤬”
u/Rocky_Addict (RCB): “3.12 NRR. Read it and weep. We don’t even need to play the rest of the league. Just give us the trophy and let the Wolf go on vacation.”
u/Mystery_Spinner (KKR): “My state of mind: Relieved. My brother’s state of mind: Praying to the Rain Gods. My dad’s state of mind: Annoyed he didn’t get to see Kohli.”
u/InsideEdge_29187 (Neutral): Sidhu was right on Extra Innings. “Waheguru is making us wait.” This just makes the Qualifier 1 even bigger…if Punjab lose their remaining games and CSK lose 1.. The anticipation is going to explode.”
u/Cuttack_Proud (Neutral): “From Odisha to the world! Rocky is the only reason people are this hyped for a washout. 💎”
u/CricketIsLife (Neutral): “Imagine being a bowler and feeling happy that a game was washed out. That is the level of fear Rocky Rudra has instilled. Total dominance.”
u/YellowArmy (CSK): “Rain in Kolkata always ruins the best tactical scenarios. We needed KKR to drop in points. Pure frustration.”
u/Rudra_Crush (Rudra Fan): “That slow-mo shot of him walking back into the dressing room with the wet hair… yeah, Shraddha was right. National Crush confirmed. 🥵🔥”
u/Tactical_Analysis (Neutral): “Many KKR fans were actually celebrating in the stands when the match was officially called off. I’ve never seen anything like it. They escaped the slaughter.”
u/Bowling_Machine (Neutral): Rocky Rudra: 11 Matches, 787 Runs. Rest of the league: Trying to figure out how to stop him. Nature: “I got this.”
u/Hoppy_Sad (Neutral): “The most anticipated game of the season ends in a puddle. 2014 is being cruel tonight.”
u/KKR_4_Ever (KKR): “We didn’t lose. That’s all that matters. To all the haters: stay mad. We’re 2nd! 💜”
u/Kohli_Goat (RCB): “Virat looked so annoyed. He wanted to bat. You can see the hunger in this team. They want to crush everyone.”
u/Nervous_Wreck (Neutral): “I literally had a panic attack when I saw the clouds. This match was the only thing I was looking forward to all week.”
u/Bhuvi_Swing (RCB): “Don’t forget our NRR. 3.12. We are 11-1-1. This is the greatest IPL run in history. Period.”
u/Salty_CSK: “KKR fans praying for rain are the weakest link. Play the game! (Even though we know Rudra would have destroyed them).”
u/Warner_Warrior (SRH): “Glad we don’t have to face RCB again for a while. That Gayle/Rudra partnership from the last game is still haunting my dreams.”
u/IPL_Oracle (Neutral): “Mark my words. This washout is the calm before the storm. The playoffs are going to be a bloodbath. 🐺⚔️💜”
___
The “Extra Innings T20” Wrap-Up
As the credits rolled on Sony Max, the mood was one of quiet reflection.
Sameer Kochhar looked at the camera with a lingering sense of “what if.”
“We leave the City of Joy with a bit of sorrow,” Sameer noted, the sound of the rain still audible against the studio roof.
“But as Sidhu Paaji said, perhaps the stage wasn’t big enough for what’s coming. 13 games in, RCB stands atop a mountain of their own making. 11 wins, a historic NRR of 3.12, and a 19-year-old guy, leading from the front, who has already scored 787 runs in just 11 innings. He has shattered his own 2013 debut record of 644 runs. Rocky is scoring more, hitting harder, and looking more unfathomable with every outing. I’m sure our dear audience is looking forward to what happens next. The playoffs are looming, and the table is set.”
“The Wolf is waiting for the skies to clear, and when they do… heavens help the bowlers.”
The screen faded to black with a final shot of the rain-slicked Eden Gardens outfield, a silent witness to a battle that would have to wait for another day, for the return of its protagonist.
____
The final league match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium was more than just a game.
It was a coronation.
The Garden City was draped in a sea of red and gold, the air thick with the scent of roasted peanuts and the electric hum of 40,000 fans chanting in unison.
Despite the humidity, a cool evening breeze swept through the stands, carrying the rhythmic “RCB! RCB!” roar that had become the heartbeat of Bangalore in 2014.
The Battle of the Titans: RCB vs. CSK.
Last league stage game.
The toss went the way of the visitors, and MS Dhoni elected to field, hoping to squeeze the RCB openers.
Rocky Rudra, with his lean, explosive frame and that signature chiselled intensity, looked to dominate early but found a leading edge off a slower ball.
Instead, he departed for a brisk 13, including one towering six that cleared the stadium roof.
Chris Gayle followed soon after for 17, leaving the Chinnaswamy in a rare, stunned silence.
But this experienced RCB side was no longer a two-man show.
The King and the skipper, Virat Kohli stepped up with a gritty, captain’s knock of 54, finding the gaps with surgical precision.
He was supported by the veteran Subramaniam Badrinath, who haunted his former team with a steady 33.
He came ahead of ABD because team needed a stabilizer, instead of a hard hitter.
The fireworks, however, were reserved for AB de Villiers.
Moving across his stumps like a gymnast, he scooped and reverse-hit his way to an unbeaten 38*, propelling RCB to a competitive 177/5.
CSK had to chase 178 to win.
However, CSK’s chase never found its rhythm.
The opening duo of Mitchell Starc and Bhuvneshwar Kumar was lethal, the ball swinging under the lights like a living thing.
Starc’s yorkers were toe-crushing, accounting for two crucial wickets.
While Dhoni fought a lonely battle with an unbeaten 49*, the required rate climbed into the stratosphere.
The hero of the night, however, was Albie Morkel.
Bowling with deceptive pace and hitting the deck hard, he dismantled the CSK middle order, finishing with figures of 3/21 with Starc 2, Bhuvi and Chahal one each.
When the final ball was bowled, CSK sat at 148/7, handed a 29-run defeat that cemented their 4th-place finish.
___
Extraaa Innings T20: The Playoff Preview
The sprawling Sony Max studio pulsed with a high-voltage electricity.
Sleek neon studio lights gleamed sharply against the glass panels, while the broadcast energy hovered at an absolute boiling point.
At the center stage stood Sameer Kochhar and Gaurav Kapur, flanked on the massive backdrop monitors by Shibani Dandekar and Archana Vijaya reporting live from the ground.
Seated nearby at the expert desk, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Ajay Jadeja sat poised with pens and notepads, ready to dissect the carnage of the regular season.
Sameer Kochhar gripped his mic, flashing a wide, confident grin as the red “LIVE” tally clicked on.
Sameer Kochhar: “The league stage is officially in the history books, ladies and gentlemen! And just take a long, hard look at that points table. One team isn’t just leading the pack—they are sitting comfortably on a massive mountain of their own absolute dominance.”
The massive studio screen lit up, displaying the final league standings:
2014 IPL Final League Standings
Position | Team | Matches | Wins | Losses | NR | Points | NRR
(Q) 1 RCB | 14 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 25 | +3.15
(Q) 2 KXIP | 14 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 22 | +0.96
(Q) 3 KKR | 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 21 | +0.41
(Q) 4 CSK | 14 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 16 | +0.12 |
…
Gaurav Kapur leaned into his microphone, shaking his head with a wide, incredulous laugh.
Gaurav Kapur: “Look at those numbers, yaar! Twenty-five points? Honestly, it feels like RCB isn’t even playing the same tournament as the rest of the league. It’s like they unlocked cheat codes back in April and just refused to turn them off!”
Gaurav spun toward the big screen, gesturing to the live feed of the bustling fan zone outside. “Archana, Shibani—bring us into the madness. What’s the pulse out there?”
The screen split to show Shibani Dandekar holding her mic tight against a deafening sea of red-and-gold jerseys, her hair blowing slightly in the stadium breeze.
Shibani Dandekar: “Gaurav, the energy out here is honestly surreal! People aren’t just happy anymore—there is a palpable sense of destiny in the air. I was just chatting with a group of supporters who drove all the way from Cuttack, and they swear they haven’t missed a single delivery Rocky’s faced since that legendary Wankhede innings. The ‘Rudra-mania’ is entirely next-level!”
Archana Vijaya chimed in from the VIP enclosure, her smile radiant as she watched the crowd wave giant RCB flags.
Archana Vijaya: “And you know what else it is, Shibani? It’s pure style. This squad isn’t just winning games, they’re doing it with such unmatched swagger that even rival fans are falling in love with this team. You’ve got Chris Gayle busting out his trademark dance celebrations on one side, and then you look at nineteen-year-old Rocky Rudra during the national anthem—that totally unblinking, laser-focused gaze. It’s like a movie script. This is a team built of absolute superstars.”
…
The Expert Analysis: Expectations vs. Reality
Navjot Singh Sidhu slammed his hand onto the studio desk, his face lighting up with theatrical intensity.
“Guru! They said RCB was top-heavy! They said their bowling attack lacked teeth! But look at them now! They’ve taken all their critics and turned them into their own personal choir! Twelve wins in fourteen matches—boss, that is not just a winning streak, that is an absolute, unstoppable stampede!”
Ajay Jadeja offered a calm, measured smile, leaning back slightly in his chair as he adjusted his notes.
“The most impressive part of it all, Sameer, is the resilience. Even on nights like tonight where Rocky and Gayle didn’t fire at the top, the middle order stood tall and absorbed the pressure. That is the true hallmark of champions. Before the season started, every single expert here picked them for the top four, sure… but honestly? Not a single one of us saw this level of absolute destruction coming.”
The studio monitors flickered, transitioning into a striking comparative graphic: Pre-Season Predictions vs. Regular Season Reality.
While analysts had anticipated a strong playoff contender, RCB’s staggering +3.15 Net Run Rate had completely shattered every analytical model in modern cricket.
…
The Playoff Fever: Fan Predictions
Sameer Kochhar stepped forward, gesturing broadly to the massive playoff tournament bracket glowing brightly behind him on the LED screen.
Sameer Kochhar: “Let’s look ahead at the ultimate road to the final right here at the Chinnaswamy. May 28th. Qualifier 1. Royal Challengers Bangalore versus Kings XI Punjab. Maxwell and Miller on one side, up against Rudra and Gayle on the other. Talk about blockbuster cricket!”
The screen shifted to reveal the latest nationwide fan voting metrics:
Fan Prediction to Win IPL 2014 |
1. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB): 83%
2. Kings XI Punjab (KXIP): 10%
3. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR):4%
4. Chennai Super Kings (CSK): 3%
…
Gaurav Kapur burst out laughing, shaking his head at the overwhelming numbers.
Gaurav Kapur: “Eighty-three percent?! At this point, I’m pretty sure the rest of India has just accepted the inevitable and surrendered. The Wolf is hunting, and the trophy is sitting right there in his home backyard.”
Navjot Singh Sidhu leaned right into the camera lens, his eyes sparking with fierce anticipation.
“The wait is almost over, India! It is the ultimate clash of the titans! The raw roar of the lion meeting the razor-sharp bite of the wolf! Qualifier 1 isn’t just a cricket match—it is a full-scale collision of worlds. Chak de fatte! Let the games begin!”
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The Prelude to the Ultimate Race
The broadcast music swelled, fading out the studio banter as a breathless, high-octane montage flashed across the screen.
The monitors flickered through the defining frames of Rocky Rudra’s historic season: the blistering 12-ball fifty, the savage 132 against the Rajasthan Royals, that iconic, soil-stained 138* under the Wankhede lights, and tonight’s quiet, unyielding walk back to the dugout in Hyderabad.
The screen slowly faded to black, leaving behind a single, stark graphic glowing in crimson and gold:
MAY 28: QUALIFIER 1 — THE CHINNASWAMY STADIUM AWAITS.