The win against Mumbai was the spark. The dressing room, once a morgue, was now buzzing with a cautious, professional optimism. But for Siddanth Deva, the real victory came the morning before the match against Kings XI Punjab.
Robin Singh pinned the team sheet to the whiteboard in the dressing room.
"Gilchrist (C), Gibbs, Laxman, Rohit, Symonds, Deva..."
Siddanth stared at his name. It wasn't in the reserves. It wasn't in the "12th Man" slot. It was at number six.
Siddanth just smiled. The orange bib was gone. The pale brown-and-black jersey was finally, truly, his.
The Match: Deccan Chargers vs. Kings XI Punjab
Location: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad.
The atmosphere in the VIP Corporate Box was stiflingly tense.
Vikram Deva sat on the edge of the plush leather seat, his hands clasped so tight his knuckles were white.
Sesikala was murmuring a continuous stream of prayers, her eyes fixed on the field.
Arjun and his friends, Ravi and Sameer, were leaning over the balcony railing, vibrating with energy.
On the field, the Chargers were 144 for 5. 16.5 overs gone. Venugopal Rao had just holed out.
The PA system boomed: "And now, making his IPL debut... the local boy... the U-19 World Cup Champion... SIDDANTH DEVA!"
The roar was deafening.
"Well, Ravi, listen to that noise!" The voice of Harsha Bhogle filled the commentary box and millions of living rooms. "He's just 17 years old, bought for a massive 72 lakhs, and the Hyderabad crowd has adopted him as their own. Siddanth Deva walks out to the middle."
"Big moment for the youngster," Ravi Shastri's booming baritone cut in. "Pressure situation. 19 balls left. He's got Andrew Symonds at the other end. Let's see if the price tag weighs him down or if he flies."
In the box, Vikram pointed. "There! Sesi, look! He's marking his guard. He looks so small next to Symonds."
"He looks confident, Uncle!" Arjun yelled over the noise. "Look at his stance. He's ready."
Ball 1 (17.1): Irfan Pathan to Siddanth. A length ball, swinging in.
Siddanth leaned forward, pushing it to long-on. Single.
"Sensible," Harsha noted. "Gets off the mark immediately. Nerves settled."
The 18th Over. Sreesanth was bowling. He was fiery, aggressive, and staring daggers at the new kid.
Ball 2: Sreesanth banged it in short. A bouncer.
Siddanth saw it early. He swiveled, rolling his wrists over the ball, keeping it down but hitting it hard behind square.
FOUR.
"SHOT!" Shastri roared. "That went like a tracer bullet! He was waiting for it. Swiveled on a dime and dispatched it!"
In the VIP box, Arjun pumped his fist. "I told you! He loves the short ball!"
Sesikala finally opened her eyes properly. "Four runs? He hit a four?"
Ball 3: Sreesanth tried the yorker. Siddanth opening the face of the bat to slice it past point.
FOUR.
"Cheeky!" Danny Morrison chirped. "The young lad has soft hands! Just uses the pace of Sreesanth and guides it to the fence. This kid has range!"
Ball 4: Sreesanth was fuming. He ran in and bowled full and straight, looking to break the stumps.
Siddanth cleared his front leg. He activated Power Hitting (Lv. 3). He didn't slog; he lofted it with a straight bat, hitting through the line.
The ball soared over Sreesanth's head, high into the Hyderabad night sky. It crashed into the sightscreen.
SIX.
"OH, MY GOODNESS!" Shastri bellowed. "That is huge! That is out of here! He has dismissed Sreesanth from his presence! What a strike from the teenager!"
Vikram Deva jumped to his feet, roaring with the crowd. "THAT IS MY SON! DID YOU SEE THAT POWER? STRAIGHT DOWN THE GROUND!"
Sesikala clapped her hands to her cheeks, a wide, disbelieving smile spreading across her face. "Oh my god, Siddu..."
Siddanth faced 6 more balls in the final overs.
Ball 10: The final ball of the innings. Brett Lee—the real Brett Lee—steamed in. 150kph thunderbolt.
Siddanth met it calmly, using the pace to guide it for a Single.
Siddanth Deva: 25 runs off 10 balls.
Deccan Chargers: 195 for 5.
"An electric cameo!" Harsha summarized. "25 from 10. He has justified the hype in ten minutes. Hyderabad has a massive total on the board."
Arjun high-fived Sameer. "Strike rate of 250! That's how you make a debut!"
---
196 to win. Punjab had firepower: Sangakkara, Yuvraj, Jayawardene.
RP Singh and Chamara Silva kept it tight.
Punjab was 40/1 after 6 overs.
Gilchrist tossed the ball to Siddanth.
"And here he comes," Danny Morrison said. "The man with the golden arm. Can he bowl as well as he bats? He's got a bit of pace, we hear."
Over 1 (7th Over):
Siddanth ran in. He hit the deck hard at 140kph, bowling to Kumar Sangakkara.
He bowled a heavy length, cramping the Sri Lankan legend.
Dot. Single. Dot. Single. Single. Single.
5 runs.
"Very impressive," Shastri noted. "No freebies. Bowling a 'Test match length' in a T20. Sangakkara couldn't get under it. This boy has a good head on his shoulders."
In the box, Vikram nodded sagely. "He's disciplined. See? He's not trying to show off."
"He's saving the rocket, Uncle," Arjun whispered. "Just wait."
The middle overs passed. Punjab crumbled under pressure. Yuvraj was out. Jayawardene run out.
The required rate skyrocketed.
Over 2 (14th Over):
Luke Pomersbach was at the crease. A dangerous hitter.
Ball 1: 148kph wobble-seam. Swing and a miss.
"Whoa!" Morrison yelled. "Where did that come from? That had some serious heat behind it!"
Ball 3: Pomersbach stepped out. Siddanth saw it. He banged it in short. 145kph. It climbed towards the throat. Pomersbach hooked, top-edged, and Rohit Sharma took the catch at mid-wicket.
WICKET 1.
"Got him!" Shastri shouted. "The pace did him in! He was hurried by the youngster! First IPL wicket for Siddanth Deva, and listen to this Hyderabad crowd!"
Sesikala let out a breath she'd been holding for five minutes. "He's safe. He got a wicket."
Vikram was beaming, shaking hands with the strangers in the next box who were congratulating him. "Yes, yes, that's my boy."
Over 3 (18th Over):
It was the death overs. The game was technically over, but Punjab was fighting for net run rate.
Siddanth bowled six perfect, back-of-a-length deliveries.
3 runs.
"This is clinical," Harsha said. "He's not giving them an inch. For a 17-year-old to bowl the 18th over with this much control... it's frightening."
Over 4 (The 20th Over):
The final over of the match. Punjab was 8 down.
Ball 1: VRV Singh on strike.
Siddanth ran in.
152kph.
The ball smashed into the base of the middle stump before VRV could even lift his bat. The LED bails lit up and flew.
"CLEAN BOWLED!" Morrison screamed. "He's castled him! 152 clicks on the speed gun! That is serious, serious gas!"
The VIP box went wild. "152!" Arjun pointed at the giant screen. "Look at the speed! He's faster than Brett Lee today!"
Ball 2: The final wicket. Sreesanth walked out. The bowler who had leaked runs to Siddanth was now facing him.
Siddanth grinned. He ran in, arm speed blurring. Sreesanth backed away, winding up for a wild slog.
Siddanth rolled his fingers. The 105kph slower-ball yorker.
Sreesanth swung so hard he nearly fell over. The ball floated past his bat and gently kissed the off-stump.
Click.
The bail fell.
WICKET 3.
"AND THAT IS IT!" Shastri announced with finality. "The slower ball to finish it off! Sreesanth bamboozled! Deccan Chargers win by a massive margin, but the story of the night is the debutant! 25 runs, 3 wickets for 17 runs. Siddanth Deva has arrived in the IPL!"
Kings XI Punjab all out for 142.
Siddanth raised his hands to the crowd. The stadium was chanting his name along with some of the players.
In the VIP box, Vikram Deva had tears in his eyes. He hugged Sesikala, burying his face in her shoulder.
"He did it, Sesi. He really did it."
Arjun was high-fiving everyone in sight. "That's my best friend! That's the Hyderabad Hurricane!"
On the field, Gilchrist ran up and ruffled Siddanth's hair, a huge grin on his face.
"That's how you make a debut, son! That's how you do it!"
Siddanth looked up at the corporate box. He saw the tiny figures of his parents hugging. He smiled.