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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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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(A/N: This is actually 2 chapters. Don't blame me for being lengthy, these were written way back, when I started writing. I'm now at 288 chapters. Also, I'll be unavailable for 2 to 3 days as we're extremely busy with brother's cochlear implant evaluation. Please send me ur wishes. 🙏)

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The Dubai International Stadium was no longer just a cricket ground, it had transformed into a atmospheric crucible of shifting desert sand, heavy, humid air, and the relentless, rhythmic thud of leather meeting willow.

By the end of the ninth over, the iconic "Ring of Fire" floodlights encircling the roof appeared to pulse in perfect synchronization with the collective heartbeat of twenty-five thousand spectators draped in vibrant RCB crimson.

The aromatic scent of woodsmoke drifting from nearby shawarma stalls mingled seamlessly with the sharp, metallic tang of the cool desert night, creating an almost electrical charge in the air.

____

The Titan and The Prodigy

The glowing electronic scoreboard told a tale of two entirely different dimensions. Royal Challengers Bangalore stood at a staggering 132 without loss after 9.5 overs—scoring at an astonishing rate that felt almost criminal in a professional match.

Yet, the underlying psychological friction within the partnership emerged as the true talking point for anyone watching closely.

Rocky Rudra occupied the crease in a state of pure, meditative flow. His serene yet devastating 66 off a mere 28 deliveries reduced the boundary ropes to a minor afterthought. He glided across the turf with absolute economy of movement, his feet slipping into position microseconds before the ball left the bowler's hand.

At the opposite end, the "Universe Boss," Chris Gayle, had forcefully bulldozed his way to 55 off 31 balls.

However, this was a far cry from the effortless, physics-defying carnage the cricketing world typically expected from the Jamaican. Gayle grunted with every swing, his heavy shoulders working twice as hard to overcompensate for a body still adjusting to the competitive intensity.

In the Commentary Box: The Master and the Apprentice

Harsha Bhogle: (Leaning forward, his face lit by the glow of the monitor) "Oh, it is a fascinating sight, isn't it? Just look at the sheer contrast out there! You have the greatest T20 batsman of all time at one end, the absolute monarch of this format. Yet, tonight, he's being outpaced, out-thought, and almost outmaneuvered by a nineteen-year-old boy. Rocky Rudra is operating with a master surgeon's scalpel, dissecting the field, while Chris Gayle is trying to swing a massive sledgehammer that just looks a little bit rusty today. It is quite remarkable!"

Waqar Younis: (Nodding, his voice carrying that characteristic deep, analytical weight) "You can see the struggle, Harsha. You really can. The footwork is just not quite there for Chris tonight. He has already played ten dot balls out of thirty-one. Now, in any other game, ten dots in a powerplay stretch puts immense, suffocating pressure on the team. But because Rudra is out there striking at over 230, Gayle has the luxury to just breathe, take his time, and find his rhythm. It is a massive cushion for him."

Matthew Hayden: (Booming into his microphone, gesturing with a massive hand) "Yeah, but let's be fair to the big man, Waqar. It can't be helped, mate. The guy is coming off a significant injury layoff, and in that context, putting up fifty-five at a strike rate of 170 is still an absolute nightmare for Punjab! But Rudra... I mean, wow. He's just making it look entirely too easy. He's taking that classic Punter pull shot we talked about and adding this late, wristy little flick at the end that is just... oh, it's delicious to watch!"

...

The tenth over, delivered by the crafty left-arm orthodox of Axar Patel, finally brought a grinding halt to the monstrous opening stand.

On the final delivery of the over, Gayle looked to launch a flatter, skidding delivery straight over long-on. However, the dusty Dubai surface held the ball for a microsecond longer than anticipated, causing the heavy willow to connect brutally with the toe end of the bat.

The ball soared vertically into the night sky, a stark white speck suspended against the black desert void, before settling safely into the waiting palms of a retreating George Bailey at the boundary edge.

The twenty-five thousand spectators inside the stadium did not hesitate for a second. They rose in unison, unleashing a symbolic, thunderous ovation that acknowledged the grueling return of the Universe Boss.

As Gayle trudged back toward the pavilion, his heavy shoulder guard glinting under the lights, he crossed paths with the incoming Virat Kohli.

The intense heat of the battle seemed to shimmer visibly between them—a silent passing of the torch as the captain stepped onto the turf, his eyes already locked on the pitch, burning with absolute competitive hunger.

___

The triumphant roar of the stadium mellowed into a tense, expectant hum as the atmosphere shifted from celebratory to somber.

Virat Kohli and Rocky Rudra met at the center of the pitch, the blinding "Ring of Fire" overhead casting sharp shadows across the turf. Sweat glistened on Rudra's face, his scarlet jersey clinging heavily to his frame as his chest heaved against the stifling Dubai humidity.

They exchanged a firm glove-bump, the dull thud of leather-on-leather completely buried beneath the persistent ambient roar of the crowd.

Rudra leaned in close, his eyes narrowed into a sharp focus as he scanned the square.

"Bhaiya, the ball is starting to grip," he said, his voice dropping into a low, urgent whisper that barely carried past the stumps. "It's not coming on like it did in those first few overs. I think it'll get incredibly difficult to bat once the ball loses its hardness and softens up. We should capitalise right now, before this pitch completely turns in favour of their spinners."

Kohli, a master at dissecting game situations, nodded instantly without a trace of hesitation. He had noticed it too from the dugout—the distinct manner in which Axar's delivery had stuck and checked in the clay-heavy surface.

He trusted the nineteen-year-old's instincts implicitly. When it came to reading the behavior of a cricket pitch, Rudra possessed the exact same hyper-analytical vision that defined Kohli's own game.

____

The Acceleration (Overs 11–14)

What unfolded next was a definitive masterclass in "No-Fear" cricket.

Despite the pitch visibly slowing down, Rudra refused to let the game drift into a comfortable middle-overs lull. He began attacking with a ferocious intent, batting like a man who viewed his own wicket as entirely secondary to maintaining the team's crushing momentum.

In the twelfth over, Rudra targeted Parvinder Awana. Spotting the bowler's release, he danced down the track with effortless elegance, lofting a length ball over extra cover with a high-elbow flourish that left Awana staring blankly at the pitch in sheer confusion.

Not to be outdone, Kohli swiftly joined the fray.

Reasserting his presence, he unleashed his immense bottom-hand power to whip Mitchell Johnson—who had been brought back for a desperate second spell—brutally through mid-wicket for a boundary that left the diving fielder clutching thin air.

...

In the Commentary Box

Matthew Hayden: (Booming over the airwaves, leaning forward with undeniable excitement) "I am absolutely loving this! Just look at the sheer intent out there! To be honest, it's like watching two Aussies dominating in the middle. The raw aggression, the absolute 'in-your-face' batting... Rudra and Kohli would be national heroes down in Australia with this attitude. Honestly, I'm sitting here eagerly looking forward for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. If this is the future blueprint of Indian batting, we are in for a decade of pure war, incredible excitement, and some seriously special drama!"

Harsha Bhogle: (Voice rising with rhythmic enthusiasm) "They aren't just hitting boundaries, Matty, they are putting the Punjab fielders through an absolute psychological grinder. Every single time George Bailey tries to tinker with the field, Rocky Rudra effortlessly pierces the exact gap where the fielder just was a moment ago. By the conclusion of the fourteenth over, RCB has cruised past 189 for 1. The projected total is now pushing well over 250!"

Waqar Younis: (Sighing with deep sympathy for the bowling unit) "The pressure out there is immense, Harsha. Just look at Mitchell Johnson's face—he looks like a mere shell of the man who charged in to bowl that first over. He is being thoroughly humbled tonight by a teenager and a captain who are operating like they don't even care about the pitch conditions. It is clinical."

...

The drama reached its peak on the final delivery of the fourteenth over.

Rudra sat on 94*, a tantalising six runs away from his second consecutive century—a historic milestone that would have completely shattered every IPL record in existence.

By this point, the white leather was significantly softer, and the troublesome grip Rudra had predicted moments earlier manifested undeniably in the surface.

Mitchell Johnson, visibly desperate and breathing heavily at the top of his mark, charged in and rolled his fingers over the seam, delivering a deceptive slower-ball bouncer.

Sensing the looming milestone and refusing to compromise the team's skyrocketing run rate, Rudra checked the length and committed to forcing his way through a signature pull shot. But the ball "held" stubbornly in the clay.

It refused to arrive with the expected pace, throwing the teenager's immaculate timing completely out of equilibrium. Rudra's bat closed a microsecond too early.

The resulting leading edge sent the ball spiralling high toward point, tracing a frantic arc against the night sky. Glenn Maxwell barely had to take a step, he settled underneath it, secure in the knowledge that the dangerous prodigy was gone.

For a solitary, breathtaking moment, the entire stadium fell into a deathly, suffocating silence.

Rocky Rudra had fallen for a spectacular 94 off just 39 deliveries, departing with an insane, blistering strike rate of 241.03.

In the Commentary Box

Harsha Bhogle: (His voice dipping into a tone of genuine, heartfelt pathos) "Oh, no! No, no, no... absolutely tragic! Six runs short of absolute immortality. Six runs short of a historic, back-to-back hundred. Just look at the pure devastation on Virat Kohli's face at the non-striker's end—he's literally looking up, asking the heavens why it had to end like this. But make no mistake, young Rocky Rudra has done his job tonight. He has single-handedly dragged this Royal Challengers Bangalore team right to the doorstep of a truly gargantuan total!"

Matthew Hayden: (Quietly, almost reverently, pointing a finger toward the stands) "Forget the scoreboard for a second, Harsha... just look at the people in the stadium. Look at that reaction."

...

As Rudra began the long, solitary walk back toward the pavilion, the twenty-five thousand fans in Dubai stood up as one unified entity.

It was not a standard, polite round of applause, it was a thunderous, deeply appreciative standing ovation that reverberated through the grandstands until his spikes finally stepped off the grass.

Even the Kings XI Punjab players, led by an honorable nod of respect from captain George Bailey, acknowledged the sheer genius they had just played against.

Rudra looked up toward the roaring tiers, offered a small, weary wave of his custom Kookaburra bat, and quietly vanished into the cooling shadows of the RCB dugout.

Official Scorecard:

End of Over 14

RCB: 189/2 (Run Rate: 13.50)

Chris Gayle c Bailey b Patel — 55 (32b, 4x4, 2x6)

Rocky Rudra c Maxwell b Johnson — 94 (39b, 13x4, 5x6)

Virat Kohli 28* (15b, 2x4, 1x6)

Extras 1 (w 1)

____

The r/Cricket match thread for RCB vs KXIP had officially descended into madness.

The statistical anomaly of a 19-year-old outscoring the "Universe Boss" while maintaining a 240+ strike rate has broken the collective brain of the internet.

r/Cricket Match Thread: The "Wolf" vs The "Kings"

u/GayleForce_17: "Am I dreaming? Gayle is striking at 170 and he looks like a slow-coach compared to Rocky. We are watching a tectonic shift in T20 batting right now. 🤯"

u/MumbaiIndian_Regret: "132/0 in 10 overs. I'm turning off the TV. Every time Rocky hits a boundary, I remember we traded him for 'team balance.' Kill me. 💀"

u/Stat_Nerd_IPL: "Rocky Rudra's SR is 241. Gayle's is 171. In any other game, Gayle is the hero. In this game, he's the anchor. Let that sink in. #Outlier"

u/PreityZintaFan: "Maxwell looks stressed in the field. Bailey looks stressed. Even the cheerleaders look stressed. Rudra is a one-man demolition derby."

u/Kohli_is_King: "The way Rocky and Virat just read the pitch and decided to go 'Beast Mode' before it slowed down... that's 200 IQ cricket. Elite mentality."

u/Aussie_Slang: "Haydos is right. Rudra plays like an Aussie. No respect for the name on the back of the jersey. He just saw Mitchell Johnson and decided to end his career. 🔥"

u/Neutral_Cric: "189/1 in 14 overs. This isn't cricket. This is a crime scene. Is there a mercy rule in the IPL?"

u/Spin_Wizards: "Axar finally gets Gayle! But now Kohli is coming. It's like escaping a lion only to walk into a tiger's den. RCB is unfair this year."

u/Tactical_Analysis: "Did you see that lofted drive over extra cover against Awana? The balance was perfect. He didn't even look at the ball after hitting it. Absolute filth. 🤢🔥"

u/KXIP_Supporter: "Johnson is bowling 150 clicks and getting pulled for six. I've never seen a bowler look this demoralized. Rudra has broken his spirit."

u/Cricket_Is_Life: "94 off 39. He missed the back-to-back century by 6 runs. I am actually devastated. Our hostel room just went silent. 😭"

u/Mitch_Johnson_Fan: "Maxwell taking the catch was the only way Punjab was stopping him. If that ball hadn't held in the pitch, it was going for six. Lucky break for us."

u/BCCI_Conspiracy: "First the Sharjah robbery, now out for 94. The universe really doesn't want this kid to have a perfect record, does it? Still, 94(39) is a GOAT innings."

u/Indian_Pacer_Fan: "189/2. Even if they score 1 run an over from here, they'll get 225. Rudra has set up a massacre. My heart goes out to the KXIP openers."

u/Naruto_Clone: "That standing ovation... gave me chills. 25,000 people standing for a teenager. It's already his 4th standing ovation in 5 matches already. We are witnessing the birth of a legend. #RockyRudra"

u/Dhoni_The_Finisher: "Even as a CSK fan, you have to respect the intent. Most players would have slowed down for the 100. Rocky went for the big hit for the team. Hero."

u/IPL_Lord: "(Image of Rocky walking off) 'I came, I saw, I conquered, I forgot to check the slower ball.' Still a King. 🐺👑"

u/Anti_RCB: "Finally he's out. Now maybe we can see some actual bowling. 94 runs of luck if you ask me."

Reply by u/Rudra_Stan: "Luck? He casually hit 153km/h bouncers for six btw. Cry more, hater."

u/Global_Cric_: "Averaging 80+ with a SR of 240 after 4 games? If this was a movie, people would call it unrealistic. Rocky Rudra is the glitch."

u/EeSalaCupNamde_Bot: "HE DIED FOR OUR RUN RATE. 94 RUNS OF PURE VENDETTA. THE WOLF HAS MARKED DUBAI. 🐺🔴🔥"

___

The "Hardcore" Wolfpack: Why We Stan Rudra

u/WolfPack_Leader: "This is exactly why I'm a hardcore Rudra fan. Most players on 94 would have played three dot balls to get the century. Rocky saw a ball to hit and he swung for the team. Zero selfishness. 🐺💯"

u/Cuttack_Thunder: "People ask why we love him? Because he doesn't play for milestones. He plays for the 'Ee Sala Cup Namde' promise. 94(39) > 100(50) any day of the week!"

u/Technical_Batting: "I stan him because of the honesty. He told Virat the pitch was slowing down and then he took the risk himself to maximize the score before it became impossible. That's a leader material."

u/Punter_DNA: "He smashed the boundary boards in Sharjah when he got robbed, and today he walks off to a standing ovation after a 94. The passion is unmatched. He cares so much it hurts."

u/Rudra_Prophet: "He's 19 and he just dominated Mitchell Johnson and outplayed Chris Gayle in the same hour. If you aren't a fan of this kid, you don't like cricket and just jealous of him. It's that simple."

u/WristyFlick_07: "That 'Go find it' sledge to Johnson followed by this 94? He's brought the 'Bad Boy' energy back to Indian batting and I am HERE FOR IT. 🤟🔥"

u/Stats_Dont_Lie: "He outscored Gayle while Gayle was at the other end. Do you realize how insane that is? I'm a fan for life now. The Wolf is the future."

u/Desi_Maal: "I've been watching cricket for 30 years. I've never seen a teenager move his feet like that against 150km/h. He's not just a player. He's an inspiration."

u/Loyal_to_the_Wolf: "He threw away a world-record back-to-back century just to ensure RCB got 20 extra runs. That's why he's my GOAT. Team > Milestones."

u/Sharjah_Survivor: "From the robbery to the 132 to this 94. The 'Vow of the Wolf' is real. We are all just living in Rocky Rudra's world now. 🐺🔴⚡"

The stage was set for the final 6 overs.

Can Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers take RCB past the 250-mark, or will Punjab's spinners use the "grip" Rocky warned about to claw back?

____

The Dubai night deepened into a thick, indigo curtain, and the "Ring of Fire" floodlights worked overtime to pierce through a light desert haze.

The air, once electric and sharp, turned heavy and stagnant. On the pitch, the brilliant white of the Kookaburra ball faded to a dull, scuffed ivory—stained by the abrasive desert sand and the green juice of the turf.

The Final 6 Overs

As Virat Kohli stood at the crease following Rocky Rudra's departure, the reality of the nineteen-year-old's warning manifested in every delivery.

The ball no longer slid onto the bat, it stopped, gripping the surface like Velcro.

Overs 15 & 16

Kohli, ever the tactician, tried to pivot from the "Wolf's" chaotic aggression to a more calculated assault. But the pitch had other plans. Sandeep Sharma and Axar Patel suddenly found turn and bounce that had not existed forty minutes prior. Kohli managed to carve out a few boundaries with sheer wrist-work, moving his score to 42 off 26 balls.

However, on the first ball of the seventeenth over, he mistimed a slower-ball cutter from Sandeep. The ball hung in the air just long enough for David Miller to sprint in from long-on and secure a sliding catch.

Harsha Bhogle: "Oh, the momentum has changed completely. It has gone from a roaring rock concert to a tense boardroom meeting. Rudra was exactly right—the pitch is acting like an entirely different one now. Even Kohli, as brilliant as he is at reading the pulse of a game, simply could not overcome the lack of pace."

...

Overs 17 & 18: The Middle-Order Squeeze

Parthiv Patel entered the fray with busy energy. He exploited the gaps, hitting two crisp fours through the off-side, but the humidity made the ball slippery for the batsmen to grip.

Trying to repeat a lofted drive on his ninth run, he found the toe-end of the bat. The ball died in the air, landing safely in the hands of Glenn Maxwell.

Then came the shock.

AB de Villiers, a man who could bat on a moonscape, looked entirely human. He struggled through three painful deliveries, unable to judge the hold of the surface.

On his fourth ball, he tried a signature lap-shot, but the ball gripped so much it spun into his pads and ricocheted onto the stumps. De Villiers walked back for 3 off 4 balls.

Waqar Younis: "This is what happens when you lose momentum in the desert. The ball becomes soft, the pitch gets dusty, and the bowlers suddenly grow brave. Mitchell Johnson is actually smiling now, which is a terrifying sight for any batsman."

Over 20: The Last Stand

The final over fell to Lakshmipathy Balaji. Subramaniam Badrinath, the veteran technician, stood at the crease with Albie Morkel at the non-striker's end. It was not pretty.

Badrinath, realizing the ball was not coming on, played a series of calculated heaves. He managed to scramble 15 runs from the final six balls, mostly through thick outside edges that flew over short third man and a frantic couple of braces.

As the final ball was swiped for a single, the scoreboard flickered and settled.

RCB INNINGS TOTAL: 233/5 (20 Overs)

Rocky Rudra: 94 (39)

Chris Gayle: 55 (32)

Virat Kohli: 42 (26)

Subramaniam Badrinath: 15* (10)

Extras: 13

_____

The Innings Break: The Analysis

The studio and the stadium commentary box both buzzed with energy. Despite the late-innings slowdown, the sheer mountain of runs remained staggering.

Harsha Bhogle: "234 to win! In any other league, that's a safe score. In this IPL, it's an absolute fortress. RCB is the only team this season that treats the 210-mark like a baseline rather than a ceiling. They've done it consistently, and they've done it today primarily because of that 56-run masterclass partnership between Rudra and Kohli. It was the crucial bridge that carried them from the Rudra-Gayle Storm to this massive total."

Matthew Hayden: "Punjab missed a trick, Harsha. After Gayle fell, they had a window. If they had snagged one more wicket—specifically Rudra's, five overs earlier—they could have restricted this to 190. But that's cricket. It's a game of momentum. Once those guys started gaining momentum, Punjab's bowlers simply started looking at the floor."

Waqar Younis: "But look at the pitch now. It's gripping. It's incredibly slow. 234 looks like 280 on this surface. For Punjab to win, the 'Three Musketeers'—Sehwag, Maxwell, and Miller—must all click. If even one of them fails, the chase is over. They are facing Mitchell Starc and a rejuvenated RCB bowling unit that knows they have plenty of runs on the board to defend."

...

The Chase Begins: The RCB Huddle

The scene shifted to the lush outfield. The Punjab openers, Virender Sehwag and Manan Vohra, walked out while adjusting their helmets, their expressions grim under the bright lights.

In the center of the field, the RCB players formed a tight, pulsating circle of red. Virat Kohli stood in the middle, his face drenched in sweat, his eyes wide and piercing.

He gestured wildly, his voice audible even over the roar of the crowd. Next to him, Rocky Rudra stood with his hands on his knees, breathing deeply, his eyes locked onto the Punjab openers.

There were no smiles now. RCB was back in hunt mode.

"Five overs!" Kohli's voice barked. "Give me everything for the first five! No easy singles! Make them feel the weight of 234!"

The huddle broke with a collective roar that vibrated through the ground, and the fielders sprinted to their positions.

Mitchell Starc took the brand-new ball, the white leather gleaming under the Ring of Fire. He began his long, rhythmic run-up from the far end, his shadows stretching across the grass like a giant's fingers.

The air was thick with the smell of dry grass and the scent of an impending clash. The chase was on.

___

Over 1: Mitchell Starc to Virender Sehwag

The Dubai International Stadium was a cauldron of shifting shadows and expectant roars.

The "Ring of Fire" floodlights cast a harsh, clinical glare over the arena, making the white Kookaburra ball look like a polished gemstone in Mitchell Starc's hand.

Starc did not hear the crowd. To him, the world had narrowed down to a twenty-two-yard strip of clay and the broad chest of Virender Sehwag.

He felt the cool weight of the ball, the seam biting into the pads of his fingers. He checked his wrist position—cocked slightly toward fine-leg, ready to let the physics of the 148 km/h air pressure do the work.

He began his run-up. It was a masterpiece of kinetic energy. His first five steps were short, building a base of power. By the tenth step, he was in full flight, his long limbs moving with the grace of a gazelle.

The wind whistled through the vents of his helmet as he hit the crease. His front foot landed with a seismic thud, his torso rotating like a coiled spring. At the release point, his arm was high—nearly vertical—creating a steep angle of descent. The ball left his hand with a furious backspin, the seam dead-upright.

...

Harsha Bhogle: "Here we go! Target 234. It's a mountain, but with Sehwag at the top, Punjab will feel they have a climbing kit. But Waqar, look at that first delivery. It moved! It actually moved in the air!"

Waqar Younis: "This is beautiful to watch, Harsha. Starc is using the humidity perfectly. But I have to say, looking at the way the ball just died into the pitch after that first bounce... how on earth did Rocky Rudra, Chris Gayle, and Virat Kohli score at ten an over? This pitch is a graveyard for stroke-makers right now."

Matthew Hayden: "It's the 'Gayle-Rudra-Kohli' mystery, Waqar. We watched them for fourteen overs making this look like a concrete highway. But now? The ball is stopping. It's gripping. It feels like RCB were batting on a completely different strip of land. It shows you the sheer genius of that 94 from Rudra. He was playing on a pitch that was already fighting him."

...

Over 1: 0.4 Ball

After three probing deliveries that Sehwag managed to defend with uncharacteristic caution, Starc decided to end the preamble. He sprinted in, the velocity of his approach increasing.

He pushed the release point a fraction forward, aiming for the base of the stumps.

The ball started wide of off-stump, teasing Sehwag into a drive. But halfway through the air, the late inswing took hold. The ball veered sharply inward—a jagged lightning bolt of white leather.

Sehwag, relying on his legendary hand-eye coordination, tried to bring the bat down, but the ball was moving at 151.4 km/h. It snaked past the inside edge, missing the bat by a coat of varnish, and crashed into the base of leg-stump.

The woodwork did not just fall, it cartwheeled toward the keeper.

Harsha Bhogle: "GONE! HE'S GOT HIM! The master of the bludgeon has been undone by the master of the blade! Mitchell Starc has produced a delivery that belongs in a museum!"

Waqar Younis: "That is the trademark! The late, toe-crushing inswinger. Sehwag had no chance. Look at the replay—the ball starts in another postcode and ends up shattering the leg-stump. Punjab are rocking!"

The entire stadium vibrated. The sight of Sehwag walking back for a duck was the ultimate validation for the RCB diehards. On the field, Rocky Rudra ran up with a casual smirk on his face as he fist-bumped Gayle.

He knew his assessment of the pitch was being proven right with every passing second.

...

The Second Over: The King of Swing

Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the ball from the far end. If Starc was the hammer, Bhuvi was the scalpel. He stood at the crease, looking at Manan Vohra, who appeared visibly shaken by the departure of his veteran partner.

Bhuvi's approach was shorter and more controlled. He focused on the upright seam and the subtle movement off the deck. The pitch, now bone-dry and abrasive, responded to his fingers.

On the third ball of the over, Bhuvi delivered a classic outswinger. It pitched on a length, gripped the surface, and nipped away just enough to catch the shoulder of Vohra's bat.

The ball flew to second slip, where Virat Kohli took a sharp, low catch, tumbling to the grass and immediately springing up to celebrate.

Harsha Bhogle: "Two down! Punjab is in a tailspin! Manan Vohra departs, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar has shown that you don't need 150 km/h to be deadly on this surface. It's the grip, Haydos! The ball is really sticking!"

Matthew Hayden: "It's incredible. We are seeing two wickets for 12 runs in the first three overs. Compare this to the first three overs of the RCB innings where Rocky Rudra was treating the bowlers like bowling machines. It really puts into perspective that Rudra-Gayle-Kohli masterclass. They weren't just batting. They were defying the elements out there."

____

3.0 Overs: The Scoreboard Pressure

By the end of the third over, the reality of the chase had set in. The lights of the Dubai stadium seemed to grow brighter, casting long, intimidating shadows across the pitch.

Every dot ball felt like a physical blow to the Kings XI camp.

Summary of the First 3 Overs:

Over 1 (Starc): 4 runs, 1 wicket (Sehwag). The inswinger that changed the game.

Over 2 (Bhuvi): 5 runs, 1 wicket (Vohra). Technical outswing perfection.

Over 3 (Starc): 3 runs. Brutal pace and bounce, keeping Glenn Maxwell pinned to the crease.

Score: Kings XI Punjab 12/2 (Target 234)

Needed 222 runs from 102 balls to win.

...

Harsha Bhogle: "The 'Ring of Fire' is starting to feel like a ring of ice for Punjab. They are frozen. They expected a run-fest, but they've walked into a bowling masterclass. The pitch is playing tricks, the ball is gripping, and the RCB bowlers are smelling blood."

Waqar Younis: "I look at the RCB huddle and I see Rudra talking to the bowlers. He's pointing at the spots on the pitch where the ball held for him. This guy has a tactical brain that is decades ahead of his age. He wasn't simply scoring 94, he scouted the entire second innings for his team."

Matthew Hayden: "The 'Wolf' and the 'King' have set the trap. Now, the rest of the pack is closing in. Punjab needs a miracle, or Maxwell needs to play the innings of a lifetime, because right now, 234 feels like 500."

The camera panned to the RCB huddle as they changed ends. Kohli shouted instructions, his face a mask of intensity, while Rudra stood near point, adjusting his cap with a casual, determined flick.

The hunt was far from over.

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

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