For More Future Chapters: -
My Patreon: -
https://www.patreon.com/c/Kynstra
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Please Donate Power Stones and Join My Patreon.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The narrative of the TATA IPL 2023 was impossibly poetic. It had begun on March 31st with the Gujarat Titans hosting the Chennai Super Kings. Two months, seventy-three matches, and countless broken records later, the tournament had come full circle.
The Grand Finale. GT vs. CSK. The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad was a breathtaking sight. 130,000 fans had packed into the colossal concrete bowl. The stands were a mesmerizing, warring mosaic of Canary Yellow and Titan Blue.
But the true scale of the event wasn't just visible inside the stadium; it was lighting up data centers across the globe. Astra Corporation's streaming giant, VEO, was operating at maximum capacity. Due to their aggressive, free-to-air global marketing campaigns featuring international influencers earlier in the year, cricket had breached new frontiers.
In the VEO control room in Mumbai, Aravind Srinivas (CTO) watched the concurrent viewership ticker with wide eyes. Even before the toss had taken place, the live concurrent viewership hit 8.2 Million. Fans from London pubs, American college dorms, and Tokyo sports bars were tuning in to watch the ultimate showdown.
On Twitter (X), the fan wars were raging at absolute peak toxicity and passion.
@YellowArmyForever:"Thala's last dance? We are taking the cup from the kid today. Experience > Aggression. #CSKvsGT #IPLFinal"
@GujjuTitansVanguard:"The Seth beat you in Match 1, and he will beat you in Match 74. Back-to-back trophies loading! The fortress is ready! 🏆⚡ #AavaDe"
@CricketNoob_UK:"Bri'ish guy here. VEO got me hooked on this. Pathak is a cheat code, but the guy in yellow (Dhoni) looks like a mob boss. Who should I support? #IPL2023"
The world was ready. The players were warming up. The fireworks were loaded.
And then, the universe intervened.
At 6:30 PM, exactly thirty minutes before the scheduled toss, a cool breeze swept through the sweltering Ahmedabad arena. It felt pleasant for exactly sixty seconds.
Then, the skies turned a bruised, ominous charcoal grey. A low rumble of thunder echoed over the Sabarmati River. And the heavens opened up.
It wasn't a gentle drizzle. It was a torrential, violent downpour.
The ground staff, moving with practiced military precision, sprinted out with the massive white hover covers. Within minutes, the 22 yards and the immediate square were safely wrapped up, but the outfield was taking a severe beating.
In the Gujarat Titans dressing room, Aarav Pathak stood by the soundproof glass window, arms crossed, watching the rain lash against the panes. He was already in his match kit, his spikes tapping impatiently against the floor.
"Unbelievable," Abhsihek Sharma muttered, standing next to him, sipping an espresso. "We waited two months for this night, and the weather gods decide to wash their cars."
"It's a passing shower," Head Coach Ashish Nehra said optimistically. "Ahmedabad rain doesn't last long in May. We'll get a game."
In the adjacent dressing room, MS Dhoni sat calmly in a corner, sipping a cup of tea, looking entirely unbothered by the chaos outside. He had seen it all before.
But the rain did not pass.
7:00 PM: The toss was officially delayed. The 130,000 fans in the stadium huddled under the roofed sections of the stands, donning cheap plastic ponchos, their enthusiasm refusing to be dampened. They sang songs, flashed their mobile torches, and waited.
8:00 PM: The rain reduced to a drizzle. The umpires, Nitin Menon and Rod Tucker, walked out with umbrellas to inspect the outfield. The ground staff deployed the 'Super Soppers'—massive sponge rollers—to squeeze the water out of the lush green grass.
8:45 PM: Just as the covers were being peeled back and a loud cheer erupted from the stands, the thunder returned. The rain came down twice as hard. The groundsmen frantically pulled the covers back over the square.
The VEO broadcast scrambled to keep the 7 million live viewers entertained. Ravi Shastri and Harsha Bhogle filled the airtime with pitch analyses, tournament recaps, and interviews, but the frustration was palpable globally.
As the delay stretched into its third hour, the internet narrative shifted from the match itself to the infrastructure.
Vijay Khel Maidan in Patra City—a hyper-futuristic stadium. The stark contrast between the BCCI's flagship stadium in Ahmedabad and the Pathak family's technological marvel became the number one trending topic worldwide.
@TechBro_USA:"Wait, so they have a stadium in Patra City with a fully automated, retractable translucent roof that can close in 12 minutes... and the BCCI decided to host the global final in an open-air bowl during monsoon season? Make it make sense. #IPLFinal"
@Hemant_GujjuTitan:"This is why the Seth is ten steps ahead. Vijay Khel Maidan has a climate-controlled shader. We could have been watching the 15th over right now! BCCI needs to upgrade! 🌧️🤦♂️"
@CricketAnalyst_Global:"why are all the important matches shifted to Narendra Modi ground?"
The memes flooded in. Pictures of fans sitting in the rain in Ahmedabad contrasted with sleek, CGI renders of the Vijay Khel Maidan's glowing roof closed tight against the elements. The BCCI was taking a massive PR hit on the global stage, and Pathak Sports's futuristic vision was inadvertently getting millions of dollars' worth of free advertising.
The cutoff time for a full 20-over match had long passed. By 10:00 PM, the officials were calculating the logistics for a 5-over shootout.
Aarav and Dhoni were seen chatting amicably near the boundary rope under umbrellas, both captains wanting a game, even if it was a frantic 30-ball dash.
But at 10:45 PM, a fresh, heavy squall blew through the stadium. Puddles had formed on the outfield. It was no longer a question of time; it was a question of player safety. You couldn't have fast bowlers charging in on a slippery, wet outfield in a high-stakes final.
Match Referee Javagal Srinath consulted with the umpires, the ground staff, and finally, the two captains.
At exactly 10:55 PM, the giant LED screens inside the Narendra Modi Stadium flashed a message that had never been seen in the fifteen-year history of the tournament.
MATCH ABANDONED FOR THE DAY.THE TATA IPL 2023 FINAL HAS BEEN SHIFTED TO THE RESERVE DAY (MONDAY, 29 MAY).
A collective groan echoed through the stadium. 130,000 people, who had sat in the humidity and rain for five hours, were deeply disappointed.
Ravi Shastri (On the VEO Broadcast): "And there it is, ladies and gentlemen. The inevitable has happened. The rain has had the final say tonight. For the very first time in the history of the Indian Premier League, the Grand Finale has been pushed to a Reserve Day!"
Harsha Bhogle: "It is a massive anti-climax, Ravi. But it is the right call for the safety of the players. The good news for the fans inside the stadium is that their physical and digital tickets remain completely valid for tomorrow. They can come back and watch the game."
Ravi Shastri: "Let's just hope the weather gods have exhausted their fury tonight. Tomorrow is a Monday, but for cricket fans, it will be a national holiday. The clash of the Titans and the Kings is merely paused, not canceled."
Aarav Pathak walked back into the dressing room, unzipping his wet jacket.
"Well, that was a waste of adrenaline," Abhishek Sharma sighed, tossing his bat into his kit bag.
"We reset," Aarav said, his voice calm, suppressing his own frustration. He looked at his team. "Go back to the hotel. Don't scroll Twitter. Don't look at the weather apps. Sleep. Tomorrow, we come back and we finish what we started."
In the corridor outside the dressing rooms, Aarav crossed paths with MS Dhoni. The legendary keeper offered a wry smile. "Nature wins today, Aarav."
"Tomorrow is me, Mahi bhai," Aarav smiled back respectfully.
The stadium lights were slowly dimmed. The covers remained firmly pegged to the ground, glistening under the rain. The biggest match of the year had been put on ice. The anticipation, already at a boiling point, was going to simmer for another twenty-four hours.
The Reserve Day awaited.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The rain had washed away Sunday, but it could not wash away the devotion of the Indian cricket fan. Monday, May 29th. The Reserve Day. Despite it being the start of the workweek, 130,000 people had returned to the Narendra Modi Stadium. They had kept their physical tickets, their digital QR codes, and their unyielding passion intact. The colossal concrete bowl was overflowing once again, a vibrant, warring mosaic of Canary Yellow and Titan Blue.
But the true scale of the madness was unfolding in the digital realm. On VEO, Aarav Pathak's revolutionary free-to-air streaming platform, the concurrent viewership tracker in the Mumbai control room was spinning out of control. It had bypassed 7 million, shattered 10 million, and was currently hovering at a staggering 15.2 Million live viewers globally. From tech bros watching secretly in their Silicon Valley cubicles, to university students in London clustered around iPads, the world had tuned in to watch the ultimate showdown.
Gaurav Kapur: "Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to Take Two! The Reserve Day of the TATA IPL 2023 Final! The skies over Ahmedabad are crystal clear, the pitch has been sweating under the covers all night, and the tension... well, you can cut the tension with a butter knife! I am joined by , Aakash Chopra, and a man who needs no introduction, Navjot Singh Sidhu!"
Navjot Singh Sidhu: "Oye Gaurav! Kaun kehta hai aasmaan mein surakh nahi ho sakta, ek patthar toh tabiyat se uchhalo yaaron! (Who says you can't pierce the sky, just throw a stone with all your might!). The rain tried to drown this final, but the spirit of these 130,000 fans has brought the sun back! The atmosphere is absolutely electrifying! It is a cauldron!"
Aakash Chopra: "Absolutely, Paaji! And let's quickly talk about the toss. MS Dhoni won the toss and didn't hesitate for a second. Chennai Super Kings will bowl first. Dhoni read the conditions perfectly—the pitch was under covers for 24 hours, there will be moisture, the ball will seam around, and the dew will make chasing easier tonight."
Gaurav Kapur: "Aarav Pathak didn't seem too bothered at the toss, though. He said his boys are ready to set a mountain of a target. And looking at the stands right now... the Gujju Titans are making sure the home team feels the energy."
Down in the East Stand, the Gujju Titans were orchestrating a masterpiece. Aarti, the fan-army conductor, raised her baton. BOOM-BOOM... CLAP!BOOM-BOOM... CLAP!
1,023 fans, dressed identically in premium dark blue, slammed their drums and clapped in terrifying, militaristic synchronization. Suddenly, they hoisted their square placards into the air. A massive, 3D-effect Tifo of the IPL Trophy emerged across the stand, surrounded by the words: "DEFEND THE FORTRESS." The psychological warfare had commenced before a single ball was bowled.
Out walked the two young princes of Gujarat. Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma.
Navjot Singh Sidhu: "Look at these two young stallions! They have no fear in their eyes! Sheron ke bacche hain, ghaas nahi khayenge! (They are cubs of a lion, they won't eat grass!). They are here to hunt!"
MS Dhoni handed the new, swinging ball to Deepak Chahar. He wanted early wickets. He wanted to exploit the moisture. But Abhishek Sharma had a completely different mandate from his captain.
Over 1: Deepak Chahar to Abhishek Sharma
Ball 1: Chahar found immediate swing. The ball hooped away from the left-hander. Abhishek stepped out and slashed it wildly. Missed.
Ball 2: Chahar pitched it up. Abhishek cleared his front leg and launched it straight back over the bowler's head. It didn't just clear the ropes; it crashed into the second tier! SIX!
Aakash Chopra: "What a shot to get off the mark in a final! Darshak bane fielder, fielder bane darshak! (Spectators become fielders, fielders become spectators!). He doesn't care about the swing!"
Abhishek went absolutely berserk. He treated the swinging ball like a tennis ball, dismantling Chahar and then tearing into Tushar Deshpande in the second over. He pulled, he drove, he slogged. At the other end, Shubman Gill matched him blow for blow. Gill used his wrists to flick Deshpande over deep square leg for a majestic six, followed by two pristine cover drives.
Over 3: Maheesh Theekshana to Abhishek Sharma
The scoreboard was flying. 57/0 after 3.1 overs. Abhishek was on a ridiculous 39 off just 11 balls.
Ball 2: Theekshana, the mystery spinner, fired it in flat and fast on middle stump. Abhishek, drunk on adrenaline, backed away to the leg side, trying to carve it inside-out over deep extra cover. But the ball skidded off the damp surface, hurried onto him, and took the outer half of the bat. It sliced high into the Ahmedabad sky. Ravindra Jadeja, stationed at point, backpedaled, kept his eyes glued to the ball, and took a fantastic, tumbling catch.
Gaurav Kapur: "CAUGHT! Jadeja makes no mistake! The absolute carnage comes to an end! Abhishek Sharma tried one shot too many, but my goodness, what an impact he has made! 39 off 12 balls in an IPL Final! He has given Gujarat the jetpack start they needed!"
Navjot Singh Sidhu: "Oye Guru! Chalte chalte mere yeh geet yaad rakhna! (Remember my song as I leave!). He came like a tornado and leaves like a storm! He has shattered the Chennai bowling plans into a thousand pieces! Look at the crowd!"
The 130,000 fans in the Narendra Modi Stadium stood up as one. It was a deafening, echoing standing ovation for the young opener. He had set the platform on fire.
Abhishek Sharma c Jadeja b Theekshana 39 (12)Score: GT 57/1 (3.2 Overs) (Gill 16 off 8)*
As Abhishek crossed the boundary rope, raising his bat to the roaring crowd, the stadium plunged into darkness for a split second. The LED lights flashed in a synchronized light show, and a heavy, pulsating bass beat echoed from the speakers.
The giant screens flashed a single word: THE SETH.
Aarav Pathak walked out of the dugout. The roar that greeted him was so loud it distorted the microphones in the broadcast box.
Aakash Chopra: "Listen to this noise! The Captain walks out! Aarav Pathak! The man who owns this stadium, the man who owns this franchise! He walks in at 57 for 1 inside four overs. He has the perfect platform."
Aarav walked to the center. He tapped gloves with Gill. "You good?" Aarav asked. "Seeing it like a football, Skipper," Gill smiled. "It's skidding on nicely." "Good," Aarav nodded. "Let's break them."
Aarav took his guard against Theekshana. But something was different.
Gaurav Kapur: "Aakash, look at his stance. He's not standing still. He's shuffling across the crease even before the bowler releases the ball. This is very different from the orthodox, still-head stance we usually see from him."
Aakash Chopra: "Gaurav... I have chills right now. Do you remember the 2020 IPL season? The season held in the UAE? Aarav scored 1003 runs in that single season. The all-time, unbreakable record. He batted exactly like this. He shuffled, he moved around the crease, he accessed 360 degrees of the ground. He abandoned the Test-match textbook and turned into a pure, unadulterated T20 mercenary."
Navjot Singh Sidhu: "Oye! Khudi ko kar buland itna ke har taqdeer se pehle, Khuda bande se khud pooche bata teri raza kya hai! (Elevate yourself so high that before writing your destiny, God himself asks you what you want!). He has activated his God-Mode! The 2020 Beast has returned for the 2023 Final! MS Dhoni, set your fields if you can, because this boy is going to hit it where the fielders aren't!"
Ball 3: Theekshana fired it into the pads. Aarav, who had already shuffled outside the off-stump, simply rolled his wrists and whipped it behind square leg. The placement was microscopic. The ball raced to the boundary. FOUR.
Ball 4: Theekshana went wider, trying to keep it away from the leg side. Aarav dropped to one knee, opened the face of the bat, and reverse-swept the fast spinner over short third man. FOUR.
Ball 5: Theekshana was rattled. He dropped it short. Aarav rocked back and pulled it flat, like a tennis forehand, over deep mid-wicket. SIX!
Gaurav Kapur: "He is toying with the mystery spinner! Four, Four, Six! He is accessing every single corner of the ground! 14 runs off his first three deliveries!"
Ball 6: Aarav pushed the last ball to long-on for a single, keeping the strike.
Score: GT 72/1 (4 Overs).
MS Dhoni was constantly shifting his field, talking to his bowlers, but the problem with a 360-degree player is that there is no safe zone.
Over 5: Deepak Chahar to Aarav Pathak
Chahar, relying on his swing, bowled a beautiful outswinger. Aarav didn't try to drive it through the covers. Instead, he stepped right across his stumps, exposing his leg stump entirely, got under the bouncing ball, and played an outrageous Scoop Shot directly over MS Dhoni's head.
The ball flew high and landed in the first few rows behind the wicket-keeper. SIX!
Aakash Chopra: "Oh, outrageous! Absolute sheer arrogance! You cannot bowl a perfect outswinger and get scooped over the keeper's head for a maximum! He is making a mockery of conventional fast bowling!"
Two balls later, Chahar tried a wide yorker. Aarav shuffled across again, went down low, and sliced it incredibly late. The ball squirted past the diving backward point fielder and raced to the fence. FOUR.
Over 6: Tushar Deshpande to Shubman Gill & Aarav Pathak
Gill wasn't going to be left behind. He welcomed Deshpande with a gorgeous, lofted straight drive that sailed over the sight screen for six.
Aarav took the strike for the last three balls of the Powerplay. Deshpande, terrified of the scoop, bowled a slower bouncer. Aarav was waiting. He swiveled on one leg and pulled it into the upper tier of the stadium. SIX!
Gaurav Kapur: "INTO THE NIGHT SKY! The Powerplay comes to an end with absolute, unmitigated destruction! Look at the scoreboard, gentlemen! I cannot believe what I am seeing!"
End of Powerplay (Over 6).Score: GT 85/1.
Scorecard Snapshot:
Aarav Pathak: 33* (11 balls) - 3 Fours, 3 Sixes
Shubman Gill: 25* (13 balls) - 2 Fours, 2 Sixes
Abhishek Sharma: 39 (12 balls)
Navjot Singh Sidhu (Standing up in the commentary box): "Eighty-five! EIGHTY-FIVE runs in six overs in an IPL Final! Arre jab lakarhara jungle mein aata hai, toh ped pehle hi kaanpne lagte hain! (When the woodcutter enters the forest, the trees start shivering!). Chennai Super Kings are shivering! Aarav Pathak has walked in and turned the Narendra Modi Stadium into his personal playground! He is shuffling, he is scooping, he is reverse-sweeping! He is the 1003-run monster all over again!"
Aakash Chopra: "Let's put this into context, Gaurav. 85 runs is the highest Powerplay score in the history of IPL Finals. It is absolute carnage. MS Dhoni won the toss hoping to exploit the conditions, but Aarav and Abhishek have just blown those conditions out of the water. The VEO servers must be melting!"
In the VEO control room in Mumbai, the engineers were frantically allocating more bandwidth. The viewership had spiked to 18.4 Million.
In sports bars across London, where fans were watching their breakfast broadcast, pints were being spilled as Aarav played that scoop shot. In Tokyo, Japanese fans, recently educated on cricket via VEO's influencer campaigns, were flooding social media with anime-style edits of Aarav's glowing eyes and bat swings.
@CricketNoob_UK (Twitter):"I don't understand the rules completely, but the guy in the dark blue jersey (Aarav) just hit a ball behind him without looking. Is that legal?! He is a glitch in the matrix! #IPLFinal"
@DhoniFanatic:"Thala is trying to set a field, but this kid is hitting it in 3D! 😭 Help us! #CSKvsGT"
Back in the middle, Aarav walked down the pitch and tapped gloves with Gill. The Powerplay was over. The field was spreading out. But the damage inflicted in those thirty-six balls was catastrophic.
"Pace off now, Seth," Gill warned, looking at Ravindra Jadeja and Maheesh Theekshana warming up.
Aarav popped a fresh piece of gum into his mouth, his eyes scanning the boundary riders. He gave his bat a firm twirl. "Let them take the pace off, Gilly," Aarav smirked. "We'll just hit it harder."
The 1003-run beast was fully awake, and the Chennai Super Kings were staring down the barrel of a historically violent night in Ahmedabad.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Powerplay had been an absolute massacre. 85 runs in six overs in a Grand Finale was a statement of terrifying dominance. Aarav Pathak and Shubman Gill had turned the Ahmedabad stadium into their personal hitting zone.
But as the fielding restrictions lifted, the man behind the stumps took control. MS Dhoni took off his helmet, replacing it with his floppy hat. He didn't look panicked; he looked calculating. He tossed the ball to his most trusted lieutenant, Ravindra Jadeja.
Gaurav Kapur: "The field spreads. Five men allowed outside the circle now. This is where MS Dhoni comes into his own. He brings on Ravindra Jadeja. Flat, fast, and relentlessly accurate. Shubman Gill is on strike."
Over 7: Ravindra Jadeja to Shubman Gill
Ball 1: Jadeja fired it in at 98 kmph. Gill went back and punched it to sweeper cover for a single. 1 Run.
Ball 2: Aarav Pathak on strike. He respected the subtle change in pace, leaning forward and driving it down to long-off for another easy single. 1 Run.
Ball 3: Gill was back on strike. He wanted to keep the run rate flying. He saw Jadeja tossing this one up just a fraction higher. Gill danced down the track, hoping to loft it straight back over the bowler's head.
But Jadeja had anticipated the charge. He pulled his length back and dragged the ball slightly wider outside the off-stump, bowling it at an uncomfortable 102 kmph. Gill was nowhere near the pitch of the ball. He swung wildly, but the ball zipped past his outside edge.
Behind the stumps, MS Dhoni didn't even have to gather it cleanly before his hands blurred. The ball hit the gloves, and in a microsecond, the bails were whipped off. Gill's back foot was stranded inches outside the crease.
Aakash Chopra: "STUMPED! Oh, brilliant! Absolute magic behind the stumps! Bijli ki tezi se bhi tej hain Thala ke haath! (Faster than lightning are Thala's hands!) Gill is miles out! Jadeja fired it wide, and MS Dhoni does the rest in a fraction of a second!"
Navjot Singh Sidhu (Standing up): "Oye Guru! Baaz ki nazar aur cheete ki chaal! (The eyes of a hawk and the speed of a cheetah!) MS Dhoni is a pickpocket in the guise of a wicket-keeper! Before Gill could even blink, his bails were in Chennai! The partnership is broken! The Master outsmarts the young man!"
Shubman Gill st Dhoni b Jadeja 26 (15)Score: GT 87/2
Out walked Sai Sudharsan, the elegant left-hander.
Ball 4: Jadeja saw the new batsman and tossed it up, hoping for a tentative defensive prod. But Sudharsan had been watching Aarav's assault from the dugout. He wasn't here to block. He cleared his front leg instantly, got to the pitch of the ball, and launched a breathtaking slog-sweep. The ball soared high and mighty over deep mid-wicket, crashing into the stands! SIX!
Gaurav Kapur: "WHAT AN ENTRANCE! Sai Sudharsan announces himself in the Final with a first-ball maximum! He takes on Ravindra Jadeja immediately!"
The crowd erupted, but MS Dhoni didn't react. He simply took off his right glove, raised his hand, and walked halfway down the pitch to meet Jadeja. Dhoni whispered something into Jadeja's ear, pointing towards the deep mid-wicket boundary. He then signaled to Ruturaj Gaikwad, moving him exactly ten yards to his right, squaring up the boundary rider perfectly.
Ball 5: Jadeja walked back to his mark. He ran in and bowled the exact same delivery. Flighted, pitching on middle and leg.
Sudharsan, pumped up by the previous six, saw the identical ball and instinctively went for the exact same shot. He dropped to one knee and slog-swept it hard. But because he was anticipating the spin, he hit it slightly squarer this time.
The ball flew flat and hard, directly towards the newly adjusted deep square-leg fielder. Ruturaj Gaikwad didn't even have to take a step. The ball landed perfectly in his lap.
Aakash Chopra: "CAUGHT! Oh, the trap was set, and the batsman walked right into it! MS Dhoni, you absolute genius! He moved the fielder just moments before that delivery, Jadeja bowled to the plan, and Sudharsan hits it straight down his throat!"
Navjot Singh Sidhu: "Checkmate! Bade bade shikaari yahan dher ho jaate hain! (Even the biggest hunters fall here!) It was a game of chess, and MS Dhoni just put the King in check! He fed him the cheese, and the mouse snapped the trap! Sai Sudharsan falls for the bait!"
Sai Sudharsan c Gaikwad b Jadeja 6 (2)Score: GT 93/3
The Ahmedabad stadium was momentarily stunned. Dhoni's tactical masterclass had produced two wickets in an over. The momentum was threatening to shift.
But walking out at Number 5 was the South African powerhouse, Heinrich Klaasen.
He crossed paths with Aarav Pathak, who had watched the entire drama unfold from the non-striker's end. Aarav tapped his bat on the pitch, his jaw working his gum furiously. "No more traps," Aarav told Klaasen. "We hit them out of the attack."
Over 8: Maheesh Theekshana to Aarav Pathak
Aarav was batting on 34 off 13 balls. The beast was fully awake and that too on perfect day of the finals, and he decided to show no mercy to the mystery spinner.
Ball 1: Aarav stepped out and drove him inside-out over covers for FOUR. Ball 3: A flatter delivery was pulled with terrifying power over deep mid-wicket for SIX. Ball 5: Aarav rocked back and cut a short ball past point for FOUR. Ball 6: A quick single to long-on.
Gaurav Kapur: "FIFTY FOR THE CAPTAIN! And he brings it up in just 20 deliveries! That is the fastest half-century in the history of IPL Finals! When wickets were falling around him, Aarav Pathak just shifted to a higher gear!"
Aarav raised his bat, acknowledging the deafening roar of the 130,000 fans. 50 off 20 balls. He was batting on a different planet.
With Aarav hitting from one end, Heinrich Klaasen decided to hit the spinners more. He brutalized Moeen Ali in the 9th over, hitting him for two massive sixes straight down the ground, racing to 24 off just 11 balls.
The score shot up to 135/3.
MS Dhoni, realizing spin was leaking runs, brought his specialist bowler, Matheesha Pathirana, into the attack in the 10th over to break the partnership.
Over 10: Matheesha Pathirana to Heinrich Klaasen
Pathirana, with his slinging, Malinga-esque action, was incredibly difficult to read.
Ball 4: Klaasen tried to heave a 148 kmph slinging yorker over mid-wicket. The ball dipped viciously, completely deceiving the South African. It sneaked under the bat and crashed into the base of the leg stump.
Aakash Chopra: "BOWLED HIM! Baby Malinga strikes! The slingy action does the trick! Klaasen was looking so dangerous, but Pathirana knocks him over! Chennai Super Kings are fighting back tooth and nail!"
Heinrich Klaasen b Pathirana 24 (13)Score: GT 135/4 (9.4 Overs)
As Klaasen began his walk back to the dugout, the cameras panned to the Gujarat Titans bench. David Miller, the veteran finisher, was already standing up, strapping on his gloves.
But out in the middle, Aarav Pathak raised his hand. He looked directly at Head Coach Ashish Nehra in the dugout. Aarav didn't shout. He just held his hand out flat, horizontal to the ground, at about chest height. Then, deliberately, he lowered his hand down to his waist level.
The short guy. Nehra caught the signal instantly. He turned around and pulled David Miller back by the shoulder. He pointed to the other end of the bench.
Navjot Singh Sidhu: "Oye, look at that! The Captain is signaling to the dugout! He is showing the height with his hand! He doesn't want Miller; he wants the pocket dynamo!"
Gaurav Kapur: "Aarav Pathak has just promoted Rinku Singh ahead of David Miller in a Grand Finale! What a massive call! He wants the left-hander to counter the slingy pace of Pathirana!"
Out walked Rinku Singh, his heart pounding against his ribs. He was being thrown into the absolute fire.
Rinku took guard. He looked at Pathirana. The slingy action was intimidating.
Ball 5: Pathirana bowled a 145 kmph wide yorker. Rinku slashed hard but missed completely. Dot.
Ball 6: A slower, dipping full toss. Rinku swung early, completely deceived. The ball hit his pad. Dot.
Over 11: Ravindra Jadeja to Rinku Singh
Rinku was retained on strike. Ball 2: Jadeja fired it in. Rinku defended back to the bowler. Dot.Ball 3: Flatter, quicker. Rinku tried to cut, beaten. Dot.Ball 4: Slider on the pads. Rinku tucked it to short fine leg. No run. Dot.
The pressure inside the stadium reached a boiling point. Rinku Singh had played 5 balls for 0 runs. In a final. The Chennai fans were cheering every dot ball like a wicket.
Aakash Chopra: "The pressure is suffocating the young man! 4 dot balls in a row! Aarav's gamble to promote him is backfiring right now! He cannot find the middle of the bat!"
Aarav walked down the pitch from the non-striker's end. He didn't look angry. He tapped Rinku's shoulder. "Take a breath, Aligarh," Aarav said slowly. "They are testing you. Don't look for the single. Look for the stands. The next one in your arc, you launch it."
Rinku took a deep breath, nodding. His jaw tightened. He adjusted his helmet.
Ball 5: Jadeja tossed it up just a fraction, trying to tempt the struggling batsman. It pitched on middle and off. Rinku didn't hesitate. He cleared his front leg, got down on one knee, and unleashed a ferocious slog-sweep. The CRACK of the bat was like a gunshot. The ball sailed high into the Ahmedabad night sky, clearing the deep mid-wicket boundary by twenty yards! SIX!
Gaurav Kapur (Screaming): "BOOM! AND HE RELEASES THE PRESSURE VALVE IN STYLE! 4 dot balls? Doesn't matter! He gets one in his slot and sends it to the moon! Rinku Singh arrives in the Final!"
Ball 6: Jadeja, rattled, dragged his length back and went wider. Rinku was waiting. He stayed on his back foot, opened the face of his bat, and slashed it fiercely over backward point. The ball raced to the boundary like a tracer bullet. FOUR!
Navjot Singh Sidhu: "Oye Guru! Pehle khamoshi, fir toofan! (First silence, then the storm!) The young man has nerves of steel! The Captain's faith is repaid in two deliveries! Rinku Singh is on fire!"
Aarav punched his bat at the non-striker's end, a massive smile on his face. The promotion had worked.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The 11th over had shifted the tectonic plates of the match. Rinku Singh's sudden explosion against Ravindra Jadeja had forced MS Dhoni to rethink his strategy. The Chennai Super Kings captain stood behind the stumps, his brow deeply furrowed. He adjusted his gloves, waving his hand to move the deep square-leg fielder a few yards to the left.
But the real threat wasn't the young man from Aligarh. It was the man standing at the non-striker's end, casually blowing a bubble with his gum. Aarav Pathak. He had reached his fifty off just 20 deliveries.
Gaurav Kapur: "Welcome back to the boil! 158 for 4 after 11 overs. Aarav Pathak is on 50. Rinku Singh has found his range. And MS Dhoni turns to his medium-pacer, Tushar Deshpande, to try and sneak a quiet over in. But look at Aarav taking strike. He looks completely unsettled... no, wait. He's doing it on purpose."
As Deshpande began his run-up, Aarav Pathak didn't stand still. Before the bowler had even reached the umpire, Aarav began to shuffle. He took a massive stride across his stumps, exposing his leg and middle stump entirely, standing almost on the wide white line of the off-side.
Deshpande, a young bowler under the immense pressure of an IPL Final, panicked mid-stride. Seeing the stumps completely naked, his instinct took over. He fired the ball fast and straight at the exposed leg stump.
It was exactly what Aarav wanted.
Ball 1: Aarav didn't step back. He let the ball come to his body, dropped to one knee at the very last microsecond, and used the sheer pace of the 142 kmph delivery. He rolled his wrists, getting under the ball, and scooped it blindly over his left shoulder. The ball didn't just clear short fine leg; it flew directly over MS Dhoni's head, sailing into the premium hospitality seats behind the wicketkeeper.
SIX!
Aakash Chopra: "Oh, what in the world?! Darshak bane fielder, Dhoni dekhte reh gaye! (Spectators become fielders, Dhoni is left watching!). Aarav Pathak has just scooped a fast bowler over the keeper's head! He telegraphed his movement, baited the bowler into bowling at the stumps, and used the pace! Unbelievable!"
Navjot Singh Sidhu (Standing up, arms flailing): "Oye Guru! Munh mein Ram Ram, bagal mein chhuri! (Peace on the lips, a dagger in the armpit!). He showed him the stumps, invited him into the parlor, and then robbed him blind! What a shot! That requires the wrists of a magician and the heart of a gambler!"
Ball 2: Deshpande was rattled. MS Dhoni walked up to him, putting a calming hand on his shoulder. "Bowl to the field," Dhoni instructed. "Outside off. Make him reach."
Deshpande ran in again. He pitched it on a good length, wide outside off-stump. This time, Aarav didn't shuffle. He stayed rooted to his crease. He waited for the ball to arrive, presented the full, gorgeous face of the bat, and leaned into a textbook cover drive. It was poetry in motion. The ball rocketed through the gap between cover and extra cover, kissing the turf before smashing into the advertising boards.
FOUR.
Gaurav Kapur: "From the ridiculous to the sublime! One ball he is playing circus shots over the keeper, and the next ball he plays a cover drive that would make Rahul Dravid weep with joy! You cannot set a field for a man who can hit 360 degrees and still play the classics!"
Aarav took Deshpande for 14 runs in the 12th over, featuring another reverse sweep over short third man and a thumping straight drive. The scoreboard raced to 172/4.
Dhoni, desperate to stem the bleeding, brought back Moeen Ali for the 13th over. The off-spinner was tasked with bowling wide to the left-handed Rinku Singh.
Rinku, riding high on adrenaline, tried to match his captain's ferocity. He stepped out to Moeen, aiming to clear long-off. But the ball gripped the Ahmedabad surface, turning sharply. It took the outer half of Rinku's bat and ballooned high into the night sky. Ruturaj Gaikwad settled underneath it at deep cover and took a safe, tumbling catch.
Aakash Chopra: "Caught! Moeen Ali gets the breakthrough! Rinku Singh tried to keep the tempo going, but the pitch does the trick. A handy little cameo, but Chennai gets a breather!"
Rinku Singh c Gaikwad b Moeen 14 (12)Score: GT 178/5 (12.3 Overs)
As Rinku walked back, visibly disappointed, the crowd erupted into a fresh wave of cheers. Striding out of the dugout, adjusting his gloves, was the South African powerhouse. David Miller.
Miller punched gloves with Aarav in the middle. "They are bowling wide," Aarav told him, his breathing steady, entirely unfazed by the wicket. "If it's in the arc, send it back to Johannesburg. If not, give me the strike. I am seeing it like a beachball."
"Got it, Skip," Miller smiled grimly.
Miller took a single off his first ball. Aarav faced the last two deliveries of the over, sweeping Moeen Ali brutally for four, then keeping the strike with a single.
Score: 182/5 (13 Overs).
Aarav Pathak was on 64 off 27 balls. He needed 36 runs to reach his century. The 14th and 15th overs became a terrifying exhibition of a batsman operating at the absolute peak of his cognitive and physical powers.
Over 14: Ravindra Jadeja to Aarav Pathak
Jadeja is known for firing the ball in flat and fast, giving the batsman zero time to react. Aarav countered this by moving incredibly deep into his crease, almost standing on his own stumps.
Ball 1: Jadeja fired it in. Aarav, deep in the crease, used the depth to create extra time. He rocked onto his back foot and punched it violently through the covers for FOUR.
Ball 3: Aarav stepped out this time, completely ruining Jadeja's length, and lofted him with a straight bat over the sight screen for a 98-meter SIX.
Ball 5: A fast dart on the leg stump. Aarav brought out the helicopter whip, sending it sailing over deep mid-wicket for another SIX.
Over 15: Deepak Chahar to Aarav Pathak
Chahar tried to use slower balls and knuckleballs. Aarav made a mockery of it. He began shuffling again.
Ball 2: Chahar bowled a wide slower ball. Aarav shuffled so far across that he was outside the pitch lines. He reached out and ramped it over short third man for FOUR.
Ball 4: Chahar tried to bowl at the body. Aarav stood perfectly still, picked the length early, and swiveled, pulling it flat and hard into the stands at deep square leg for SIX.
The stadium was in a state of mass hysteria. The 130,000 fans were not sitting down; they hadn't sat down for twenty minutes. The score hurtled to 210/5.
Gaurav Kapur: "He moves into the nineties! He is absolutely destroying the Chennai bowling attack! This is a grand finale, the pressure is immense, but he is treating this like a video game on easy mode!"
Over 16: Tushar Deshpande to Aarav Pathak
Aarav was on 95. The crowd was chanting his name, a slow, rhythmic drumbeat of anticipation.
Ball 1: Deshpande bowled a wide yorker. Aarav dug it out for a single to sweeper cover. (96)
Ball 2: Miller hit a powerful straight drive for FOUR, then took a single on the next ball to put Aarav back on strike.
Ball 4: Aarav Pathak on 96 off 37 balls. Deshpande, looking terrified, decided to bowl back of a length, angling into the ribs to cramp him. Aarav didn't flinch. He cleared his front leg, kept his eyes glued to the ball, and swung his bat in a majestic, fluid arc.
It was the trademark 'Seth' pull shot. The ball rocketed off the sweet spot with a sound that echoed like a rifle shot across the Narendra Modi Stadium. It soared high into the Ahmedabad night, clearing the deep mid-wicket boundary and landing twenty rows back into the screaming, euphoric crowd.
SIX!
Navjot Singh Sidhu (Standing on his chair, screaming into the microphone): "HUNDRED! A MAGNIFICENT, ROYAL, BLOOD-CURDLING CENTURY IN THE IPL FINAL! Oye Guru! Taaliyan bajti rehni chahiye! (The clapping shouldn't stop!). He has taken the Chennai attack, folded it, and put it in his back pocket! 100 off just 38 balls! The fastest century in an IPL Final! Aarav Pathak, take a bow!"
Aakash Chopra: "What an innings! What a player! He takes off his helmet, the sweat glistening on his face, and he looks up to the heavens! The stadium is bowing to its King! 100 runs off 38 balls. That is not acceleration; that is teleportation! And the Gujarat Titans are at a staggering 218/5 in just 16 overs! FIRST CAPTAIN TO HIT 100 IN IPL FINALS!"
Aarav stood in the center of the pitch. He took off his helmet and raised his bat, pointing it first to the Gujarat Titans dugout, where Ashish Nehra and Yuvi Paji were giving him a standing ovation. He then turned and pointed his bat toward the Gujju Titans, a subtle, private acknowledgment.
David Miller walked up from the non-striker's end and gave him a massive bear hug. "You're a freak, Skipper. Absolute freak." "Job's not done, Dave," Aarav breathed heavily, wiping his face with a towel brought by the 12th man. "We push for more."
MS Dhoni had held back his ultimate death-bowling weapon. Matheesha Pathirana, 'Baby Malinga', with his extreme slinging action and lethal, toe-crushing yorkers. It was the 17th over. India was 218/5.
Pathirana marked his run-up. His assignment was simple: fire 150 kmph yorkers at the base of the stumps. Stop the carnage.
Ball 1: Pathirana steamed in. His arm came from a remarkably low, slinging angle. 151.2 kmph. A perfect, pinpoint yorker on the middle stump. Aarav brought his bat down just in time, digging it out inches from his toes. Dot. (Aarav 100 off 39).
Gaurav Kapur: "Brilliant start by Pathirana. That slinging action is so hard to read, and at 150 kmph, if you miss, your toes are gone."
Ball 2: Pathirana ran in again. Aarav decided to mess with his head. Before Pathirana reached the crease, Aarav shuffled wildly to the off-side, walking entirely across his stumps. Pathirana, seeing the movement, adjusted his line, bowling a fast, full toss at Aarav's body. Aarav whipped it violently through square leg for FOUR. (Aarav 104 off 40).
Ball 3: Pathirana was angry now. MS Dhoni waved his hands from behind the stumps, signaling Pathirana to stick to the plan. Wide yorker. Outside off.
Aarav Pathak stood at the crease. He knew what Dhoni was thinking. He knew what Pathirana was going to bowl. This was the exact matchup that had made AB de Villiers famous against Lasith Malinga. And Aarav was about to recreate it, with added hostility.
Pathirana started his run-up. Aarav didn't shuffle early this time. He waited. As Pathirana's arm whipped over, unleashing a 152.8 kmph laser-guided wide yorker, Aarav moved.
He didn't just step across. He dropped deep into his crease, going back and across simultaneously. He dropped down on one knee, getting his head completely level with the low, slinging trajectory of the 150 kmph delivery. The ball was practically on the wide white line, aiming for the base of the imaginary 8th stump.
Aarav extended his arms to their absolute maximum limit. He opened the face of his bat so wide it was almost horizontal to the ground. With a snap of his wrists that defied all human biomechanics, he didn't drive it. He didn't cut it. He swept it.
He swept a 152 kmph wide yorker from outside the pitch mat. He hit it with the absolute sweet spot of the bat. The ball didn't just fly; it rocketed at an impossible upward angle, traversing the entire length of the stadium, flying high over the deep backward square leg boundary and crashing into the upper tiers.
SIX! (Aarav 110 off 41).
The stadium was engulfed in a silence of pure, unadulterated shock for three entire seconds before the noise erupted.
Aakash Chopra (Standing on his chair, clutching his head): "I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS! I SIMPLY DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT MY EYES HAVE JUST SEEN! HOW?! HOW DO YOU DO THAT?! That is a 150 kilometer-per-hour wide yorker! He has dropped on one knee, fetched it from another postcode, and swept it into the square leg stands for six!"
Ball 4: Pathirana was stung. The young Sri Lankan paced back to his mark, his eyes burning with fury. He wiped the sweat from his brow and charged in with everything he had left. 154.1 kmph. He went full, fast, and straight at the base of the middle stump. Aarav, still running on the adrenaline of the previous shot, cleared his front leg to launch it over long-on. But the sheer velocity and perfect dipping trajectory beat his bat swing by a fraction of a second. The ball crashed spectacularly into the middle and leg stumps.
Navjot Singh Sidhu: "BOWLED HIM! The slinger strikes back! He has shattered the timber! Aarav Pathak's unbelievable, mind-bending innings comes to a close! He tried one more massive hit, but the pace beat him! What a warrior!"
Gaurav Kapur: "The entire stadium is on its feet! Aarav Pathak departs for a sensational 110 off just 42 deliveries. He has single-handedly traumatized the Chennai Super Kings tonight. A standing ovation for the captain of the Gujarat Titans!"
Aarav Pathak b Pathirana 110 (42)Score: GT 228/6
With their captain back in the dugout, the momentum dipped slightly, but the platform for a colossal total was firmly in place.
In the 18th over, David Miller joined the party, smashing Moeen Ali for two consecutive boundaries before being caught on the boundary trying to clear long-off. David Miller c Gaikwad b Moeen 28 (14)Score: GT 240/7 (18 Overs)
As Miller walked off, Rahul Tewatia, the Ice Man, walked out to bat for the final two overs alongside Rashid Khan.
Over 19: Tushar Deshpande Deshpande bowled a fantastic penultimate over, nailing his wide yorkers and restricting Tewatia to just a handful of scrambled singles. It was a rare quiet over that went for just 5 runs, leaving the score at 245/7.
Over 20: Matheesha Pathirana was handed the ball for the final over. He was tasked with limiting the damage, and he executed brilliantly.
Ball 1: Tewatia squeezes a yorker for a single.
Ball 2: Rashid Khan swings and misses.
Ball 3: Rashid manages to poke it to third man for a quick double.
Ball 4: A searing bouncer. Rashid tries to hook but misses entirely.
Ball 5: A wide yorker. Rashid slices it over backward point for FOUR.
Ball 6: Pathirana finishes the innings with a perfect toe-crusher. Rashid digs it out for a single.
INNINGS BREAK
Total Score: Gujarat Titans 252/7 (20 Overs)
Scorecard Snapshot:
Aarav Pathak:110 (42 balls) - 8 Fours, 10 Sixes
Commentary Wrap-Up
Gaurav Kapur: "Take a breath, India! Take a breath, world! We have just witnessed one of the most explosive T20 innings ever played! The Gujarat Titans have posted an absolutely mammoth 252 for 7 on the board in an IPL Final!"
Navjot Singh Sidhu: "It was a massacre, Gaurav! A pure, unadulterated massacre! Aarav Pathak's 110 off 42 balls was a whirlwind that dismantled, demoralized, and destroyed the Chennai Super Kings! From orthodox drives to physics-defying sweeps, he showcased every shot in the cricketing encyclopedia!"
Aakash Chopra: "252 in a Final! Chennai Super Kings will need a miracle of biblical proportions to even come close to this. Aarav Pathak walked in and completely changed the landscape of this match. The Seth has truly conquered the Narendra Modi Stadium!"
As the Gujarat Titans players rushed onto the field to congratulate their batters, Aarav Pathak stood in the dugout, drenched in sweat but smiling. The target was 253. The cup was practically already in his hands.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Donate Power Stone pls and write review to increase the reach of the story!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Note: - 7900+ Words
For More Future Chapters: -
My Patreon: -
https://www.patreon.com/c/Kynstra
Thank you very much for all the support and donate power stones!!
Do Comment, anything just comments and Donate Power stone!!
If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! Your feedback means so much. And feel free to comment on where you think the story should go next—I'd love to hear your thoughts on the future direction!