12th Man to Cricket Legend

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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******

The atmosphere in India did not just grow tense. It turned completely toxic.

The heartbreak of 2014 was unique because the villain wasn't a dropped catch or a brilliant delivery, it was the perceived "selfishness" of a legend and the "arrogance" of his father.

When the national team faltered on the grandest stage, the public narrative bypassed standard sporting excuses and turned viciously personal.

Fans did not mourn a tactical error.

Instead, they weaponised the painful sight of a fading hero struggling at the crease, tracking his slow, agonising dots as if it were a deliberate betrayal of the collective dream.

Why? Because they was someone better who had been sitting at home. It wasn't like in the real life where no one was available, instead it was the exact opposite.

There was a better option available than the struggling player but BCCI ruthlessly excluded him, citing his age, told the public that they need an experienced match winner.

As the images of Yuvraj Singh's house being pelted with stones in Chandigarh flashed on the news, social media (then dominated by Facebook and a rising Twitter) exploded.

@BlueTiger_99: "Yograj Singh said lions don't worry about barking dogs? Well, tonight forget about roaring, the 'Lion' couldn't even bark. He just stood there and ate 21 balls like a vegetarian. A disgrace for our country."

@Cuttack_King: "While Yuvi was busy playing dot balls, the 'Wolf' Rocky Rudra was probably hitting 300 in the nets. Selection based on 'past glory' is why we have silver instead of gold."

@Mud_Insane: "I hope Yograj Singh is watching the highlights. Is this the 'legend' you were bragging about? My 15-year-old brother shows more intent than your son did today."

@RudraForce: "Burning my Yuvraj jersey tonight. You don't get to stay a hero by killing the King's hard work. Give the jersey to Rudra. At least he knows how to swing a bat."

@DelhiDhamaka: "Virat Kohli scored 77 off 58. The rest of the team? 53 off 62. It wasn't Sri Lanka vs. India. It was Sri Lanka vs. Virat. #ShameOnSelectors #BringInRudra"

@MasterBlasterFan: "Gavaskar was right. This isn't a retirement home. If Rocky Rudra can score twin centuries ton in NZ, he can surely score more than 11 in 21 balls. Logic has left the BCCI."

@Anti_MI: "Yuvraj Singh didn't only cause us to lose the match. He also robbed Kohli of a legacy. Every dot ball felt like a slap to the fans. Come on, bro. It's done. Thank your service. Retirement is calling, Yuvi."

@TheRealist_Rudra: "Yograj Singh's interview aged like milk. 'Who is Rudra?' He's the guy who wouldn't have wasted 3.3 overs in a World Cup final, that's who."

@BCCI_WakeUp: "Imagine being the most inform teenager in the world currently and watching a senior player struggle to touch the ball. This is the death of merit in India."

@Mahi_07: "Just saw a video of fans burning Yuvraj's posters in Ranchi. It's ugly, but the anger is real. You can't betray the nation's hope like this."

@Don_Lie: "Rudra Buchi Babu Avg: 286. Yuvraj WC Final Strike Rate: 52. Another one here, Rudra strike against NZ was 138 in test lol. Read those numbers again and tell me why the kid is sitting in Odisha."

@KohliEmpire: "I've never seen Virat this broken. He looked at Yuvi at the non-striker end like he wanted to cry. The 'Wolf' would have hunted with him. The so called'Lion' just sat in the grass."

@MalingaLover: "Even as a Lankan fan, I felt bad for Kohli. Malinga didn't beat India today. Yuvraj Singh did. Thank you, Yuvraj."

@TrollCricketIn: "(Meme: Yograj Singh pointing) 'My son is a lion!' (Next slide: A picture of a kitten stuck in a yarn) 'The Lion in the final 4 overs.'"

@OdiaPride: "Cuttack is mourning tonight. Not just for the loss, but for the talent they kept on the bench. Rocky Rudra would have smashed 50 in those 11 balls. He just smashed 10 balls 50 in test vs NZ."

@sane_Indian: "Selection Committee should resign. You ignored a man averaging 161 in Tests for a man who can't time a spinner in Bangladesh. Madness."

@FutureIsRudra: "The transition starts now. We don't want legends! We want performers! If Rudra is an outlier, then let him be the outlier in the XI!"

@CricketNerd: "The most expensive buy in the 2014 auction (Yuvi) just cost us the World Cup. The irony is staggering."

@Biased_Journalist: "The chants of 'Rudra!Rudra!' outside the BCCI headquarters tonight are a sign of the times. The era of blind worship is over."

@Guru_Thought: "April 6, 2014: The day Indian cricket died of sentiment."

___

The stadium lights cast long, harsh shadows across the Mirpur dressing room, but the heaviest shadow hung over Yuvraj.

He sat in the corner, staring blankly at his boots, the deafening echo of twenty-one wasted deliveries still ringing in his ears.

Outside, the digital world was already ablaze with fury, stones were being thrown at his house, and a lifetime of clutch heroics was being erased in a single night of internet rage.

But inside the quiet sanctuary of the locker room, the air shifted.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked over, his face an unreadable mask of calm, completely detached from the chaos brewing outside the stadium walls. He didn't offer empty platitudes. He simply stood by his broken match-winner.

___

Later, after their arrival in India, when the microphones were thrust into Dhoni's face and the media demanded a public execution, the captain drew a sharp line in the sand.

"You can't blame one individual," Dhoni said, his voice cutting through the sensationalism. "Yuvraj tried his best. It's a team sport. It was a tough day for him, but he has won us so many matches in the past. He is a match-winner, and he deserves our support."

Across the cricket world, other giants refused to let the mob tear down their brother.

Sachin Tendulkar took to his keyboard, his words carrying the weight of a nation's conscience. "Yuvi had a tough day and we can be critical of him," Tendulkar wrote, "but should we vilify him? One bad innings cannot wipe out what he has done for Indian cricket."

Even his teammate on the field that night, Virat Kohli, who had watched his own masterclass go to waste from the non-striker's end, spoke with fierce loyalty:

"He has won us two World Cups. He is our most impactful player in limited-overs history. We win as a team, and we lose as a team."

The public wanted a scapegoat, but the dressing room offered a shield. They knew that a single tactical tragedy could not break the bond forged in the fires of 2007 and 2011.

However, the fans were no longer just content with being disappointed, and angry. They relented after much persuasion from their respective idols.

Now, they cleverly directed all their anger and hate towards the BCCI selectors. They were demanding a permanent change, and Rocky Rudra's name was the rallying cry for a new era.

It would have been fine if Yuvraj had simply thrown away his wicket instead of eating up the balls, at least the public anger wouldn't be this intense.

But what did he do? He single-handedly lost all the momentum. Imagine being celebrated as one of the greatest clutch players in cricket history and not even being able to middle a ball when your team needs it.

Since they couldn't continue to attack him, they changed their target and wanted assurance from BCCI or else, even their idols couldn't their minds.

Too bad, the BCCI was already prepared for their scapegoat. It wasn't the later era of Jay Shah where BCCI pay attention to their biggest goldmines.

It was the era of rampant corruption, factionalism, everything.

BOARD OF CONTROL FOR CRICKET IN INDIA

Cricket Centre, Wankhede Stadium, D-Road, Churchgate, Mumbai - 400020

----------------------------

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: April 7, 2014

SUBJECT: TERMINATION OF SELECTOR CONTRACT WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wishes to clarify its official stance regarding recent public comments made by a member of the Senior Men's Selection Committee concerning the eligibility and readiness of our prodigy, Rocky Rudra, who's also our vice-captain for the senior men team.

During a recent media interaction, date ******, the concerned selector stated that Rudra "is not ready for the big stages" solely due to his age. The BCCI strongly condemns this statement. It does not reflect the ethos, selection philosophy, or talent-first blueprint of Indian cricket. Age has never been, and will never be, a barrier to representing the national team for any player possessing extraordinary merit, hunger, and skill.

The BCCI views these comments as a serious breach of confidentiality protocols and a direct contradiction of the Board's vision to nurture and empower young talent.

Consequently, the BCCI has terminated the national selection contract of the individual responsible, effective immediately.

Indian cricket thrives on the fearlessness of its youth. The selection committee's mandate remains absolute: to identify and reward excellence on the field, regardless of the birth year on a passport.

The Board remains fully committed to supporting Rudra and every other young athlete knocking on the doors of international cricket based purely on their performances.

- ENDS -

Sanjay Patel

Honorary Secretary

Board of Control for Cricket in India

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This post finally managed to calm down the public anger, although, they knows it was just a scapegoat. They didn't care at all.

Furthermore, at least, they managed to get some justice for their young prodigy.

It should be the first time the BCCI was forced to release a public statement due to collective anger of the public.

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(A/N: Want to read advance chapters? Check the author's note and give Power Stones ❤️)

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