The locker room at Newlands, Cape Town, was a hive of quiet, focused intensity. The air smelled of liniment, new fabric, and the distinct, crisp scent of a South African autumn.
Siddanth Deva stood in front of his locker, staring at the jersey hanging there. The pale, coffee-colored beige of 2008 was gone, banished to the archives of bad memories. In its place was a deep, aggressive Navy Blue. It looked sharper, meaner. It looked like a uniform for a team that intended to win, not just participate.
"Looks good, doesn't it?" Adam Gilchrist, the captain, slapped him on the back. Gilly was already padded up, his eyes bright. "New colours, new country, new start. Let's go out there and bury the ghosts of last year."
Siddanth pulled the jersey on. It fit perfectly.
"KKR first up," Darren 'Boof' Lehmann said, clapping his hands. " McCullum is the captain now. They'll come hard. We go harder. Pace is our weapon today. Fidel, RP, Sid. Unleash hell."
Match 1: The Demolition of Kolkata
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Toss: Deccan Chargers won and elected to field.
The wind was whipping across the ground, carrying a chill from Table Mountain. Gilchrist's decision to bowl was a no-brainer. The pitch had a greenish tinge, and the overcast sky promised swing.
The Kolkata Knight Riders, led by Brendon McCullum, walked out. But the "McCullum of 2008" didn't show up. The Deccan pace attack was ruthless.
Fidel Edwards, with his slingshot action, removed McCullum in the second over with a searing yorker. RP Singh swung the ball both ways, trapping Chris Gayle LBW for a duck.
The score was 20 for 3 when Gilchrist tossed the ball to Siddanth.
"Heavy ball, Sid. Hit the deck. Make them smell the leather."
---
Siddanth marked his run-up. The wind was helping.
Over 1 (The 6th Over):
Brad Hodge was on strike.
Siddanth ran in. He didn't look for swing; he looked for the splice.
148kph. Back of a length.
The ball exploded off the pitch. Hodge was hurried. He tried to fend it off, but the bounce was too steep. The ball kissed the shoulder of the bat and looped to Herschelle Gibbs at backward point.
WICKET 1.
The KKR middle order crumbled. Sourav Ganguly tried to anchor, but the run rate was suffocating.
Siddanth came back for his second spell in the 12th over.
He bowled a 150kph wobble-seam delivery to the KKR wicketkeeper. It nipped back, went through the gate, and shattered the stumps.
WICKET 2.
And in the death overs, he cleaned up the tail with a slower-ball yorker that dipped wickedly on Murali Kartik.
WICKET 3.
He finished with figures that made the commentators gasp: 4 overs, 1 maiden, 12 runs, 3 wickets.
Kolkata Knight Riders were skittled for 101 all out in 19.4 overs.
The Chase
102 to win. A walk in the park? Not quite. The ball was still moving.
Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs walked out.
Gilly started in typical fashion, smashing a four through covers, but in the third over, he chased a wide one from Ishant Sharma. Caught at slip for 13.
DC: 18 for 1.
Siddanth Deva walked out at number 3. The Dark Blue jersey looked striking under the floodlights.
He met Gibbs in the middle.
"Just knock it around, mate," Gibbs said, chewing his gum furiously. "No need for fireworks. Run hard."
Siddanth nodded. The target was small. Sensible cricket was the order of the day.
He settled in. He played Ishant with soft hands, guiding him to third man. He drove Ajit Agarkar straight down the ground for a collected two.
Gibbs, on the other hand, decided he wanted to finish it early. He unleashed a flurry of cuts and pulls, targeting the spinners.
Siddanth played the perfect foil. When the ball was in his zone, he hit it.
In the 10th over, Murali Kartik tossed one up. Siddanth stepped out and lofted him effortlessly over long-on for Six.
It was a clinical partnership. 50 runs. Then 80.
Gibbs reached his half-century with a boundary.
Siddanth finished the match in the 15th over with a crisp square drive for four.
Herschelle Gibbs: 53 (45 balls).*
Siddanth Deva: 36 (28 balls).*
Deccan Chargers Won by 8 wickets.
It was the perfect start. Clinical with the ball, professional with the bat.
Match 2: The Bullring Massacre
Venue: The Wanderers, Johannesburg
Opponent: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)
The Wanderers Stadium, affectionately known as "The Bullring," was a cauldron of noise. The high altitude of Johannesburg meant the ball travelled further, faster, and harder. It was a batsman's paradise, and Adam Gilchrist, wearing the new, aggressive Dark Blue jersey, glinted in his eye at the toss.
"We'll bat," Gilchrist said, the decision instant. "It's a good deck. We want to put up a score they can't even see."
The First Innings
Gilchrist walked out with Herschelle Gibbs. The fiery Dale Steyn and the swing-master Praveen Kumar led the RCB attack.
Gibbs looked dangerous for a moment, slapping a boundary through point, but in the 4th over, he tried to pull Steyn and mistimed it to mid-wicket.
Gibbs out for 16.
DC: 24 for 1 (3.2 Overs).
"And here he comes," Ravi Shastri's voice boomed through the stadium speakers. "The young sensation. Siddanth Deva walks in at number three. He had a good outing in Cape Town, but this is a different beast. Steyn is bowling thunderbolts."
Siddanth walked out. He tapped the pitch. It was hard as rock.
He joined his captain. Gilchrist looked focused.
"Good wicket, Sid. True bounce. Trust the pace. If you hit it, it stays hit."
What followed was a partnership of pure, unadulterated destruction.
Gilchrist went berserk. He decided that Praveen Kumar's medium pace was personally offensive. He smashed three sixes in one over, depositing them into the raucous crowd.
Siddanth, feeding off the energy, joined the party.
He faced Jacques Kallis. The South African legend banged it in short, testing the youngster.
Siddanth swivelled.
The pull shot cracked off his bat like a gunshot. It sailed into the second tier.
SIX.
"Oh, hello!" Danny Morrison screamed. "That has gone into orbit! Kallis tests the youngster with the short stuff, and Deva says, 'I'll take that, thank you very much!' That is a statement shot!"
They put on a rapid partnership. Gilchrist was the aggressor, bludgeoning the ball. Siddanth was the stylist, manufacturing shots that defied field settings.
Gilchrist reached 75 off just 45 balls. He was looking unstoppable until he mistimed a lofted shot off Anil Kumble.
Who took the catch? Virat Kohli, running in from long-on.
Kohli threw the ball up, staring directly at Siddanth. Your turn, Sid.
DC: 130 for 2 (13 Overs).
VVS Laxman came in, hit a beautiful boundary, and then unluckily dragged one onto his stumps for 5.
DC: 145 for 3 (14.4 Overs).
Out walked Rohit Sharma.
The Mumbai boy and the Hyderabad boy. The future of Indian batting.
"5 overs left, Ro," Siddanth said, punching gloves. "Let's have some fun."
It was carnage.
Rohit was in a mood. He whipped Steyn over mid-wicket with that lazy, impossible elegance. He drove Kallis through covers.
Siddanth, now set on 40, activated Innovative Shot-Making (Lv. 3).
He faced Steyn again. Steyn bowled a yorker.
Siddanth shuffled across and scooped it. It flew over fine-leg.
SIX.
"Stop it!" Harsha Bhogle laughed in disbelief. "You cannot do that to Dale Steyn! That is 145 clicks, and he's scooping it like it's a tennis ball! This partnership is absolutely dismantling the Royal Challengers!"
In the 20th over, Siddanth faced Jesse Ryder.
Ball 1: Six over long-off.
Ball 2: Four through point.
Ball 3: Six over fine-leg (scoop).
He raced to 68.
Rohit finished the innings with a massive six over long-on off the final ball.
Rohit Sharma: 43 (20 balls).*
Siddanth Deva: 68 (35 balls).*
Deccan Chargers Total: 211 for 3.
The Wanderers crowd was on its feet. 211 was a mountain.
The Second Innings
212 to win. RCB needed a miracle.
They didn't get one. They got Siddanth Deva with the new ball.
"Deva to open the bowling," Sunil Gavaskar said. "He scored 68 with the bat. Now he has the new ball. He is the complete package."
Over 1:
Siddanth ran in. The altitude of Johannesburg made the ball fly through the air.
Robin Uthappa was on strike.
Siddanth bowled a 150kph outswinger first up.
Uthappa poked. Missed.
Ball 2: The "Heavy Ball." Back of a length.
Uthappa tried to pull. The bounce got big on him. It exploded off the surface.
Top edge.
The ball went straight up.
Siddanth ran forward, called for it, and took the catch himself.
WICKET 1: Robin Uthappa c & b Deva 0.
"Gone!" Shastri roared. "The heavy ball does the trick! Uthappa hurried by the extra pace and bounce! Siddanth Deva is having a dream day!"
The RCB top order collapsed under the pressure of the scoreboard.
Jacques Kallis: 12. (Run out by a direct hit from Symonds).
Kevin Pietersen (RCB Captain): 15. (Clean bowled by a beauty from RP Singh).
Ross Taylor: 11. (Caught behind off Fidel Edwards).
RCB: 50 for 4 (7 Overs).
The game was effectively over. Or so it seemed.
Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli were at the crease.
Dravid, the technician, and Kohli, the young firebrand.
They had nothing to lose.
Dravid started playing shots that belied his reputation. He pulled. He drove.
Kohli, stung by Siddanth's batting display and determined to prove a point after the catch, was in a fighting mood.
He took on the spinners. He smashed Pragyan Ojha for two massive sixes. He drove Symonds through the covers.
They built a partnership. 50 runs. 80 runs.
The crowd started to cheer for the underdogs. The impossible chase was gaining a heartbeat.
Kohli reached his 50 off 35 balls. He raised his bat, looking straight at the DC dugout, his eyes blazing.
Dravid was on 48.
The partnership was worth 101 runs.
But then came the catch.
Fidel Edwards did the bowling.
Edwards, with his slingshot action, bowled a bouncer to Kohli.
Kohli, batting on 50, went for the hook. He wanted to clear the long-leg boundary. He wanted to make a statement.
He connected well. The ball flew high, soaring towards the boundary rope. It looked like a certain six.
Siddanth was patrolling the boundary at deep square leg.
He saw the ball. It was travelling flat and fast.
He ran to his left.
He judged the flight. It was going to clear him.
He timed his jump.
He leapt into the air, his body fully extended, his right hand stretching towards the night sky.
"He's going back... he leaps!" Danny Morrison screamed. "Oh, my word!"
The ball hit his palm.
He clamped his fingers shut.
OUT.
The stadium erupted. It was a catch of pure athleticism and spatial awareness.
"UNBELIEVABLE!" Shastri lost his mind. "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? It's Siddanth Deva! He has plucked that out of the Highveld sky! Look at the balance! Virat Kohli cannot believe it!"
Kohli stopped. He stared at Siddanth on the boundary line.
He shook his head, a wry, begrudging smile on his face. Of course, it's him.
Kohli walked off for a fighting 50. The resistance was broken.
With Kohli and Dravid gone after a few balls, the tail was exposed. RCB was 140 for 6. They needed 72 runs. It was impossible. Siddanth came on to bowl the 20th Over. He was facing Praveen Kumar and Rajesh Bishnoi.
"Here comes the Hurricane,"Harsha Bhogle said. "The top order is gone. Now he gets to feast on the tail. This could be messy."
Ball 1: Rajesh Bishnoi on strike. Siddanth ran in. He didn't need guile. He needed power.
Yorker
Bishnoi backed away, trying to slash. He missed by a foot. The stumps were shattered. WICKET 2: Bishnoi b. Deva 2.
Ball 2: Dale Steyn walked in. A fast bowler facing a fast bowler. Siddanth grinned. He bowled the 110kph slower ball. Steyn, expecting heat, wound up for a massive heave. He was through the shot before the ball arrived. The ball dipped past the bat and kissed the off-stump.
WICKET 3: Steyn b. Deva 0.
"Two in two!"Gavaskar shouted. "He is cleaning them up like nine-pins! Too fast, too smart!"
Ball 3: Praveen Kumar. Hat-trick ball. Siddanth bowled a bouncer. 148kph. Praveen fended it off blindly. It fell short of gully. No hat-trick.
Ball 4: Praveen tried to make room. Siddanth followed him with a bodyline yorker. Praveen dug it out. Single.
Ball 5: Anil Kumble. Siddanth bowled full and straight. Kumble blocked.
Ball 6: Kumble edged a wide one for four.
Siddanth finished the over. Siddanth's Figures: 4 overs, 22 runs, 3 wickets.
RCB finished on 160 for 8.Deccan Chargers Won by 51 runs.
The Presentation
The Wanderers Stadium was a cauldron of noise. The Chargers had won two in a row, dominating both games. Ravi Shastri stood with the microphone, beaming.
Shastri:"A commanding performance from the Deccan Chargers. They have posted 200+ and defended it with style. And the man of the moment... Siddanth Deva!"
Siddanth walked up to accept the Man of the Match award. 68 runs, 3 wickets, and a stunner of a catch.
Shastri:"Siddanth, a comprehensive win. That partnership with Rohit Sharma set the tone."
Siddanth smiled. "Rohit is amazing to bat with. When he gets going, you just have to give him the strike and watch. We wanted to get past 200, and luckily it came off."
Shastri:"And the bowling? You got the opener early, took the catch of the tournament to remove Kohli, and then cleaned up the tail. Clinical."
"Once Virat got out, we knew we had them. Bowling to the tail is about keeping it straight and fast. Don't give them width to swing."
Shastri:"You are wearing the Blue now. Does it feel different from last year?"
"It does," Siddanth said, touching the DC logo. "Last year we were finding our feet. This year... this year we know who we are. We are here to win."
Shastri:"Strong words. Well played, Siddanth."
Siddanth walked back to his team.
Rohit Sharma high-fived him. "Good knock, partner. And that catch."
Gilchrist patted his back. "Two from two. We're rolling."
Back in Hyderabad, it was 11:30 PM. Vikram Deva turned off the TV, a satisfied sigh escaping him. "Did you see the catch, Sesi?" he asked for the tenth time. "I saw it, Vikram," she smiled. "He never falls," Vikram said, locking the front door. "Not anymore."
Siddanth Deva sat in the team bus, looking out at the Johannesburg lights. Two wins. Man of the Match. The Hurricane had made landfall in Africa. And the storm was just beginning.