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 at the Dubai International Stadium was a suffocating blend of desert humidity and raw, white-hot tension.

The "Ring of Fire" floodlights shimmered off the red and gold of the RCB jerseys that dominated the stands.

In the middle, the air smelled of freshly scuffed leather and the faint, citrusy scent of the zinc cream on Lasith Malinga's cheeks.

Lasith Malinga stood at the top of his mark, his golden curls damp with sweat, the white ball gripped firmly in his slingy, unorthodox action.

He looked at the scorecard, then at the man in the Number 11 jersey at the non-striker's end.

The "Anti-Rudra" plan was in full effect, but first, he had to deal with the King.

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Over 2: Lasith Malinga vs. The King & The Wolf

1.1: Lasith Malinga to Virat Kohli — NO RUN

Malinga thundered in from the pavilion end, his arm slicing through that trademark, low, side-on trajectory. The delivery arrived at a blistering pace, skidding rapidly off the parched surface along the fourth-stump line.

Virat Kohli remained intensely watchful. He planted a solid stride forward, presenting a perfectly straight, dead bat.

The white leather thudded firmly into the meat of his willow, dropping dead right at his feet.

Ajay Jadeja (Commentary): "Total respect from the Bangalore captain. Malinga is desperately searching for a hint of early tailing swing under these lights, but Kohli is having absolutely none of it. Just playing it right under his eyes."

Navjot Singh Sidhu (Commentary): "Oye hoye! Guru, this is the meeting of two fierce emperors in the desert! One holds the white ball like a weapon, the other holds the bat like a golden scepter! Steady as a mountain, Virat! No rash choices early on!"

1.2: Lasith Malinga to Virat Kohli — ONE RUN

Malinga attempted to deceive the batsman with a clever off-cutter slower ball, but he erred slightly by over-pitching it. Kohli adjusted beautifully, leaning gently into a textbook flick toward mid-on. It was a masterpiece of soft-handed placement, perfectly bisecting the inner ring to allow a rapid, unchallenged single.

The Dubai crowd erupted into a sharp roar as the two strikers crossed cleanly.

Ajay Jadeja (Commentary): "Perfect cricket from Virat. He has done exactly what a senior partner needs to do—worked the single, rotated the strike, and put the man of the moment right back where he belongs. Now, the real chess game resumes."

1.3: Lasith Malinga to Rocky Rudra

The "Anti-Rudra" trap was finally sprung. Malinga and Rohit Sharma had discussed this precise scenario during their hurried mid-pitch huddle—bowl a heavy, slower bouncer directly into the young man's ribs to force an awkward, hurried pull shot.

Malinga banged the leather into the deck with immense force.

But Rocky Rudra was completely dialed in. His eyes remained wide, locked onto Malinga's release point. Utilizing his near-supernatural reflexes, he anticipated the short ball instantly. He didn't just counter the trap; he unveiled a classic, vintage Ricky Ponting pull shot.

With his front leg slightly raised and his horizontal bat swiveling through a flawless, aggressive arc, he intercepted the ball beautifully. The Kookaburra Kahuna met the leather with a devastating crack, sending the ball soaring over the deep square-leg fence and deep into the stands.

SIX RUNS!

Ajay Jadeja (Commentary): "HE HAS READ IT CRACKINGLY WELL! Malinga tried to orchestrate a high-stakes cage trap, but Rocky Rudra just completely dismantled the bars! What phenomenal hand-eye coordination from the teenager!"

Navjot Singh Sidhu (Commentary): "GURU! THOKO TAALI! That wasn't just a cricket shot, that was a raw thunderbolt thrown straight from Indra's own hand! The boy is standing at the crease looking at Lasith Malinga the way a hungry desert wolf stares down a helpless lamb! Unbelievable power!"

Match Progress Scorecard

RCB: 23/0 (Over 1.3)

Target: 154 (Required: 131 runs from 111 balls)

Rocky Rudra: 22* (7b, 4s: 2, 6s: 2)

Virat Kohli: 1* (2b)

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1.4: Lasith Malinga to Rocky Rudra

Malinga looked visibly annoyed, his jaw tightening as he walked back to his mark. He decided to unleash his absolute trademark—the deadly, toe-crushing yorker at 145 km/h.

It was perfectly aimed, zeroing in directly on the base of the leg stump. Most batsmen in world cricket would be lucky to just protect their feet and survive.

Rudra, however, remained completely still and poised.

Utilizing those lightning-fast wrists, he performed a majestic, Ponting-esque flick right off his toes. The timing was so sublime, so effortless, that the ball didn't just clear the ropes—it traveled with monstrous velocity, striking the concrete fascia of the stadium's top tier.

At the non-striker's end, Virat Kohli stood frozen. His mouth hung wide open, his hands clamped tightly over his helmet in absolute disbelief.

His expression screamed a bewildered, 'That went for a six too, Benstokes!'

SIX RUNS!

Ajay Jadeja (Commentary): "Just look at Virat's reaction at the other end! He is genuinely shocked! You simply don't do that to Lasith Malinga. You don't take a textbook, perfect yorker and flick it into the top tier for six! That isn't just power, folks. That is a piece of pure technical genius!"

Navjot Singh Sidhu (Commentary): "Oye hoye hoye! Guru, write it down in golden letters! The king of yorkers threw his ultimate spear, but the boy turned it into a rocket and sent it straight to the stars! What a player! Thoko Taali!"

1.5: Lasith Malinga to Rocky Rudra — TWO RUNS

Visibly rattled by the consecutive maximums, Malinga lost his radar slightly, bleeding a fuller delivery well wide of the off-stump. Rudra stayed deep in his crease, transferring his weight beautifully to punch the ball squarely through the cover gap.

The parched Dubai outfield was lightning-fast, but the deep extra-cover fielder sprinted hard to cut it off right on the boundary cushion.

Between the wickets, the running was relentlessly aggressive. They tore down the track for the first, pushed hard for the second, and Rudra's eyes remained locked onto the fielder's throwing arm, threatening to steal a third before Kohli waved him back.

Ajay Jadeja (Commentary): "They are absolutely sprinting out there! The sheer kinetic energy between these two is electric. They are putting immense pressure on the Mumbai Indians fielders, forcing errors. They almost stole three runs there... but a very comfortable two added to the total!"

1.6: Lasith Malinga to Rocky Rudra

The final ball of the over. Desperate to escape the systematic onslaught, Malinga attempted to target the wide tramlines outside off-stump. Rudra anticipated the line perfectly. He strided well out across the crease, reached for the ball with full extension, and presented a high-elbow, textbook cover drive. The ball pierced the gap between cover and point with surgical precision.

The white leather screamed across the grass and rattled the advertising ropes before the inner-ring fielder could even shift his weight to move.

FOUR RUNS!

Navjot Singh Sidhu (Commentary): "Guru, look at Malinga's face! His famous golden curls are completely drooping, Ajay! Nineteen massive runs extracted from the over! This isn't a standard run-chase anymore. This is a calculated demolition under the desert sky!"

Ajay Jadeja (Commentary): "Unbelievable batting. 35 runs on the board in just two overs. Rohit Sharma's entire tactical blueprint has been blown to smithereens before the crowd could even settle into their seats. Mumbai needs an emergency huddle right now."

End of Over 2:

SCORECARD

RCB 35/0 (2 overs)

Target: 154

Rocky Rudra: 34* (10b, 4s: 3, 6s: 3, SR- 350.00)

Virat Kohli: 1* (2b, 4s: 0, 6s: 0, SR- 50.00)

MI Bowling:

Harbhajan Singh: 1.0-0-16-0 | 16.00

Lasith Malinga: 1.0-0-19-0 | 19.00

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Inside the Mumbai Indians dugout, the silence hung heavy and suffocating.

Ricky Ponting sat deep in his chair with his head buried in his hands, shaking it in slow, utter disbelief. He had recognized himself in those last few strokes—the identical balance, the same aggressive, front-foot intent—but it was being directed like a weapon against his own team, unlike the last season.

Beside him, Sachin Tendulkar stood rigid by the railing. His face remained a mask of intense concentration, his eyes tracking Rudra's every stride as the teenager walked down the pitch to consult with Kohli.

Aakash Chopra (Commentary): "The highly anticipated 'Anti-Rudra' blueprint is currently lying in absolute tatters. Thirty-five runs blasted in just twelve deliveries! If this systematic onslaught continues, folks, we will all be home in time for an early dinner!"

Ajay Jadeja (Commentary): "It is the sheer stillness at the crease, Aakash. He isn't playing guessing games out there. He is purely reacting to the line and length. And when your reflexes allow you to react that phenomenally fast, even a legendary bowler like Lasith Malinga is made to look completely ordinary."

The broadcast frame froze cleanly as Rocky Rudra and Virat Kohli met at the center of the twenty-two yards. Rudra's face remained set in a hard, fiercely determined mask, while Kohli gave him another excited, appreciative pat on the shoulder under the brilliant desert floodlights.

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

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