The humidity of Kolkata hung heavy over the Eden Gardens, a suffocating blanket that trapped the roar of 90,000 people. It was a sea of purple and gold, a wall of sound that vibrated in the chest. The Kolkata Knight Riders were playing at home, and their Prince, Sourav Ganguly, was in a mood to rule.
The first innings had been a massacre.
Ganguly, the 'Dada' of Indian cricket, had turned back the clock. He danced down the track to RP Singh, he cut Scott Styris, and he drove with that silken, god-given off-side elegance. He scored 91 runs, an innings of pure nostalgia and aggression.
The Deccan Chargers bowlers looked shell-shocked. The ball was flying to all corners.
In the 12th over, amidst the carnage, Robin Singh had thrown the ball to Siddanth.
"Break the rhythm," he'd ordered.
Siddanth, his 35-year-old mind blocking out the deafening "DADA! DADA!" chants, had targeted the one weak link: Aakash Chopra.
Chopra, playing a supporting role on 24, tried to accelerate. Siddanth saw him step out. He fired the 105kph slower ball. Chopra was deceived in the flight, the bat turning in his hand, and the ball popped up for a simple caught-and-bowled.
WICKET 1.
It was a small victory in a lost war. Where David Hussey provided the modern T20 muscle, blasting a brutal 57.
Kolkata Knight Riders finished on 202 for 4. (A mammoth total, adjusted slightly by the humid air and heavy outfield, but a mountain nonetheless).
The target was 203.
---
"Welcome back to the Eden Gardens," Ravi Shastri's voice boomed through the monitors. "203 to win. A tall order. Deccan Chargers need a flyer. They need Gilchrist to fire."
They didn't get a flyer. They got a funeral.
Ishant Sharma, the local boy, was bowling thunderbolts.
Adam Gilchrist (24): Started well, then chopped a wide one onto his stumps.
Herschelle Gibbs (5): A disastrous mix-up, run out by a direct hit from Hussey.
Rohit Sharma (33): Looked beautiful for 20 balls, then holed out to long-on trying to keep the rate up.
Scott Styris (5): LBW to a Murali Kartik arm-ball.
Sanjay Bangar (2): Clean bowled by a yorker from Umar Gul.
The scoreboard was a horror show.
Deccan Chargers: 69 for 5.
Overs: 10.3
"This is a procession," Harsha Bhogle said, his voice somber. "The Chargers are falling apart. The crowd is loving it, but the contest is effectively over. They need 134 runs. They have 57 balls. That is... well, that requires a miracle."
Out walked Siddanth Deva.
He looked at the scoreboard.
Required Rate: 14.1
He met Venugopal Rao at the crease. The senior pro looked grim.
"It's too much, Sid," Rao said, leaning on his bat. "The ball is gripping. Gul is reversing it. Let's take it one ball at a time"
Siddanth tapped the pitch. He looked at the 90,000 screaming fans. He looked at Ganguly setting an aggressive field.
His mind calculated. 134 runs. 57 balls. We need 2.5 runs every ball. Doable.
"Venu-bhai," Siddanth said, his voice cutting through the noise. "We run everything. We turn ones into twos. And when I say run, you run. We are not dying here today."
Rao looked at the 17-year-old. He saw the fire. He nodded.
---
Over 11 (Bowler: Murali Kartik)
Siddanth was on strike.
Ball 4: Siddanth used his Dancing Skills. He skipped down, smothered the spin, and lofted it inside-out over extra cover.
FOUR.
Ball 5: He rocked back and cut it late past point.
FOUR.
Ball 6: Single.
"Okay," Harsha noted. "A bit of a fightback from the youngster. Deva is not going down quietly."
Over 13 (Bowler: Umar Gul)
Gul, the master of the yorker.
He ran in. 145kph reverse-swinging missile.
Siddanth saw the release.
He didn't block. He walked across his stumps. He exposed all three.
He dipped his knees.
He scooped the 145kph yorker over the fine-leg boundary.
SIX.
The Eden Gardens went quiet for the first time.
Ganguly put his hands on his hips.
Over 15 (Bowler: Ishant Sharma)
Venugopal Rao, inspired by Siddanth, started hitting. He pulled Ishant for a six.
Siddanth got on strike.
He hit Ishant for a straight six, landing on the sightscreen.
Then a ramp for four.
Then a drive for four.
20 runs off the over.
The equation dropped.
60 runs needed from 30 balls.
"Hello!" Shastri bellowed. "Are we seeing something special here? The Chargers were dead and buried! But Deva and Rao have resurrected the corpse! This is unbelievable hitting!"
---
Ganguly brought himself on. The Prince vs. The Prodigy.
Siddanth targeted him immediately.
He stepped out and hit him over long-on. Six.
He reverse-swept him. Four.
He ran a suicidal two, his Parkour Instincts allowing him to dive and turn faster than humanly possible.
30 runs needed from 12 balls.
It was going down to the wire.
The 19th Over (Bowler: Umar Gul)
This was the test. Gul was the best death bowler in the world at that moment.
Ball 1: Rao on strike. He swings... misses. Dot.
Ball 2: Rao hits it to deep mid-wicket. Single.
Siddanth on strike. 29 off 10.
Ball 3: Gul bowls the yorker. Siddanth digs it out. Dot.
Pressure.
Ball 4: Gul misses the length by an inch. A low full toss.
Siddanth whips it. It's flat. It's hard. It pierces the gap between deep-mid-wicket and long-on.
FOUR.
Ball 5: Siddanth anticipates the slower ball. He waits. He smashes it straight back past the bowler.
FOUR.
Ball 6: Gul goes short. Siddanth pulls. It lands in no-man's land. They run two.
Two runs.
The Equation: 17 runs needed from 6 balls.
Bowler: Ishant Sharma.
The stadium was shaking. The noise was a physical force.
Ganguly was having a long conference with Ishant.
Siddanth walked over to Rao.
"I need the strike, Venu-bhai. First ball, we run. No matter where it goes."
"Got it," Rao breathed.
Ball 1: Ishant to Rao. A wide yorker. Rao squeezes it to point. They scramble.
Single.
16 runs off 5 balls.
Siddanth on strike.
"This is it," Harsha whispered. "The 17-year-old Prodigy against the Indian spearhead. 16 to win. He needs boundaries."
Ball 2: Ishant runs in. Tall, imposing. He bangs it in short.
Siddanth sees it. He doesn't hook. He plays the Upper Cut. He uses the pace, guiding it over the slip cordon. The third-man is up inside the circle.
It flies over his head.
FOUR.
12 off 4.
Ball 3: Ishant goes full.
Siddanth clears his front leg. He drives. It's in the air... towards long-off.
The fielder runs around. He dives. He... misses! The ball trickles over the rope.
FOUR.
8 off 3.
"He is finding the gaps with the precision of a surgeon!" Shastri roared. "Ganguly is distraught! The youngster is ice cool!"
Ball 4: Ishant is rattling. He bowls a length ball.
Siddanth swings hard. He mistimes it! It goes high in the air towards mid-wicket.
Three fielders converge.
It lands safely!
They run one. They run two.
Two runs.
6 off 2.
Ball 5: Siddanth on strike. He needs a six to finish it.
Ishant bowls a perfect yorker.
Siddanth jams it down. It squirts to the bowler.
He can't run.
DOT BALL.
"Oh, what a delivery!" Harsha cried. "Gold dust! A dot ball! The equation is now 6 runs off 1 ball. Siddanth Deva needs a six to win. Anything less, KKR wins. Eden Gardens is holding its breath."
The tension was unbearable.
Ganguly moved his fielders back. Long-on, long-off, deep mid-wicket, deep square-leg. The boundary was patrolled.
Ishant Sharma walked back to his mark. He looked confident.
Siddanth stood at the crease.
His mind went silent.
He looked at the field. He saw the gap over Extra Cover. Risky.
He saw Fine Leg. Fine Leg was up.
If he bowls full, I scoop. If he bowls short, I pull. If he bowls length...
Ishant ran in. The crowd roared.
He didn't bowl a yorker. He missed his length.
It was a low full toss, outside off stump.
Siddanth didn't try to hit it over Extra Cover.
He shuffled across his stumps. Way across.
He went down on one knee.
He played the Sweep.
But not a normal sweep. He rolled his wrists, using the pace and the angle, and shoveled the ball high, high over the backward square leg boundary.
It was the shot he had played in the U-19 final. The shot of destiny.
The ball soared into the black Kolkata sky.
Ganguly watched it. Ishant watched it.
90,000 people watched it.
It cleared the rope by ten rows.
SIX.
"UNBELIEVABLE! HE'S DONE IT! SIDDANTH DEVA HAS HIT A SIX OFF THE LAST BALL TO WIN IT FOR THE DECCAN CHARGERS!"
Shastri lost his mind. "Look at that! Look at that shot! From 69 for 5! From the depths of despair! 79 runs off 32 balls! He is a magician! He is a superstar! Eden Gardens is stunned into silence!"
Siddanth stood in the crease, holding the pose for a second. Then he dropped his bat, took off his helmet, and roared.
Venugopal Rao sprinted down the pitch and lifted him into the air.
The Deccan dugout emptied. Gilchrist, Symonds, Gibbs—they were all sprinting onto the field.
Siddanth Deva: 75 (32 balls). 6 Fours, 5 Sixes.*
Venugopal Rao: 55 (36 balls).*
They had chased 203.
It was the greatest heist in IPL history.
Outside Eden Gardens: The Aftermath
The streets of Kolkata were a chaotic river of yellow taxis and dejected fans. The humid air was thick with the smell of street food and disappointment.
A news reporter, microphone in hand, camera light blinding in the darkness, was trying to find a voice in the crowd.
Reporter: "We are outside Eden Gardens, and what a match! KKR, seemingly in control, have lost on the very last ball! Let's talk to some fans."
She stopped a group of young men wearing KKR jerseys, their faces painted purple, looking shell-shocked.
Reporter: "Guys, tough luck. What happened in there?"
Fan 1 (Bengali accent, shaking his head): "Dada played so well. 91 runs. We thought we won. We had 200 runs! But that boy... that Hyderabad boy..."
Fan 2: "Deva. Siddanth Deva. Baap re. I have never seen batting like that. He hits the ball like... like he has a remote control. That scoop shot? In the last over? Who does that?"
Fan 1: "I am angry KKR lost. But... I am happy he is Indian. He is future India player. Only respect."
The reporter moved on, finding a lone man waving a Deccan Chargers flag—a brave soul in enemy territory.
Reporter: "Sir! A lone Deccan fan! How are you feeling?"
DC Fan (Grinning wildly): "I am flying, madam! Flying! I came from Hyderabad just to see Gilchrist. But I saw a massacre today! 72 Lakhs? He is worth 10 Crore! Did you see the six? Ishant Sharma is crying inside! Deva is the boss!"
The reporter turned back to the camera, her hair blowing in the breeze.
Reporter: "There you have it. Heartbreak for Kolkata, euphoria for Hyderabad. But the unanimous verdict is clear: a star has been born tonight under the lights of Eden Gardens. Siddanth Deva has arrived, and he has announced himself with the loudest bang possible."
Back in the Dressing Room
The DC dressing room was vibrating. The music was loud.
Gilchrist walked over to Siddanth, who was sitting quietly, nursing a water bottle, his adrenaline slowly fading into exhaustion.
Gilly handed him the Man of the Match cheque.
"Keep it, mate," Gilchrist said, shaking his head. "I've seen Bevan finish games. I've seen Hussey finish games. But to do that... at 17... against 90,000 people screaming for your blood..."
He paused, looking Siddanth in the eye.
"You're scary, kid. Properly scary."
"Just doing the job, Sir," he said.
"Call me gilly and Yeah," Gilchrist laughed. "And what a job it was."