A/N: I forgot about Hardik Pandya add his to the squad list
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The Indian team landed in London. The weather was cool, and the sky was covered in grey clouds. They collected their bags from the baggage carousel and walked out of Heathrow Airport.
A large bus waited for them. The players loaded their heavy cricket kits into the storage compartments and got on board. They drove through the city to their hotel in central London.
The hotel check-in was fast. The BCCI had arranged everything in advance. Siddanth took his room key from the manager, went upstairs, and dropped his bag on the floor. He took a shower, ordered some room service, and went to sleep early.
The next morning, the team gathered in the hotel lobby. They wore their blue training tracksuits. They got on the bus and drove to The Oval for their first practice session.
The ground was green and wet from the morning dew. The air was cold. The players started with a light jog around the boundary line to warm up their bodies.
Siddanth walked over to the practice nets. He picked up a red cricket ball. The seam felt thick and raised. The conditions in England were very different from India. The ball would swing in the air for a longer time here.
Virat Kohli put on his batting pads and walked into the net.
Siddanth measured his run-up. He ran in and bowled. He did not bowl very fast. He just wanted to feel the release of the ball. The ball left his hand, pitched on a good length, and swung away from Kohli. Kohli left it alone.
They practiced like this for an hour. Siddanth bowled to Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan next. He helped Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah check their lines. He told them to bowl fuller here to make the batsmen drive the swinging ball.
In the next net, MS Dhoni was standing behind the stumps. He wore his wicket-keeping pads.
Rishabh Pant stood next to him, wearing his own keeping gloves. The young player was watching Dhoni closely.
Mohammed Shami was bowling to Manish Pandey in their net. Shami bowled a fast delivery that swung late. Manish missed it. The ball wobbled after passing the bat. Dhoni moved his feet smoothly, kept his hands soft, and caught the ball cleanly.
Dhoni threw the ball back to Shami. He turned to Pant.
"Did you see the wobble?" Dhoni asked.
"Yes, Mahi bhai," Pant nodded. "The ball moved again after passing the stumps."
"That happens a lot in England," Dhoni explained simply. "The air is heavy. If you stand rigid, the ball will hit the hard part of your palm and drop. You have to wait for the ball to come to you. Do not reach out and snatch at it. Keep your wrists soft. Let the ball hit the webbing of the glove."
Pant nodded. He took his position behind the stumps. Shami bowled again. Pant tried to catch it, but he moved his hands forward too early. The ball hit his fingers and bounced off.
"You are pushing your hands forward," Dhoni corrected him immediately. "Stay back. Move your feet first, get your body behind the line of the ball, and then let your hands close around it. Try again."
Pant tried again. He focused on his footwork. This time, he caught the ball properly.
"Better," Dhoni said. "Keep practicing that. If you drop catches in the slips or behind the stumps in these conditions, you lose the match."
The team practiced until the afternoon. They packed their kits and returned to the hotel.
For the next two days, the routine remained the same. They practiced in the nets, got used to the cold weather, and prepared their bodies for the tournament.
Before the main Champions Trophy started, the ICC had scheduled official warm-up matches. India was scheduled to play against New Zealand at The Oval.
The warm-up match was not a regular game. The rules allowed teams to use all fifteen members of their squad. A player could bat, retire, and let another player bat. Bowlers could be rotated freely. It was just a practice run to test the pitch and the match fitness of the entire team.
New Zealand batted first.
Siddanth opened the bowling with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. They bowled short spells. The ball swung well. Siddanth took one wicket, getting Martin Guptill caught at slip. He then took himself out of the attack to let the others bowl.
He gave the ball to Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav in the middle overs. The two young wrist spinners bowled well together. Chahal took two wickets, and Kuldeep took one. They controlled the run rate.
New Zealand scored 240 runs.
When India batted, Siddanth did not put on his pads. He sat in the dugout and watched.
Rohit and Dhawan gave a good start. Kohli scored a solid fifty. Siddanth sent Rishabh Pant to bat at number four. Pant struggled slightly with the swinging ball at first, playing and missing a few times. But he eventually found his timing. He hit two boundaries and a six over long-on before getting out for 25 runs.
India chased the target down easily in forty overs. All fifteen members got a chance to field, bowl, or bat. It was a comfortable, easy victory. The team looked balanced and ready.
The next day was a rest day.
In the afternoon, Siddanth received a message on his phone. He changed into a plain black jacket and jeans. He walked out of his room, went down to the lobby, and told Rahul to arrange a car.
Siddanth drove to a private airfield near Farnborough.
A sleek NEXUS private jet landed on the runway. The stairs lowered.
Krithika stepped out of the plane. She wore a thick winter coat and a scarf. Anjali walked out right behind her, dragging a small travel suitcase and looking very tired.
Siddanth stood near the car. He smiled as they walked over.
"Welcome to London," Siddanth said.
Krithika walked up to him and hugged him. Her face felt cold against his neck. "It is freezing here. You said the weather would be nice."
"It is summer in England. This is nice for them," Siddanth chuckled.
Anjali dropped her bag on the ground with a heavy sigh. "Bava, that flight was too long. I watched four movies and I am still bored."
Rahul, who had come with Siddanth, picked up their bags and put them in the trunk of the car.
"I booked a suite for you at a hotel two blocks away from our team hotel," Siddanth told Krithika as they got into the car. "The team hotel is restricted because of security protocols, so you cannot stay there. But it is just a short walk."
"That is fine," Krithika said. "We plan on walking around the city anyway. Anjali wants to see the London Eye and the museums."
They drove to the hotel. Siddanth helped them check into their suite. They ordered some hot tea. They sat and talked for an hour.
"Are you ready for the game tomorrow?" Krithika asked, holding her tea cup.
"We are ready," Siddanth said. "The team is in good shape."
"The whole country is talking about it," Anjali noted from the sofa. "India versus Pakistan. My friends at college are already planning watch parties. The media back home is going crazy."
"The media always goes crazy," Siddanth said calmly. "It is just a cricket match. I have a press conference to attend in an hour regarding the game. Get some rest."
Siddanth hugged Krithika, said goodbye to Anjali, and left the hotel room.
He walked back to the official team hotel.
The hotel lobby was crowded with journalists, camera crews, and security guards. The pre-match press conference for an India versus Pakistan game was always a massive event.
Siddanth walked past the lobby and entered the main conference hall.
The room was packed. Over a hundred journalists from India, Pakistan, England, and Australia were sitting in the chairs. Television cameras were set up at the back of the room. The flashing of cameras started the moment Siddanth walked through the door.
He walked up to the stage. He sat down behind the desk. A dozen microphones displaying different news channel logos were placed in front of him.
The media manager for the BCCI stood next to the desk. "We will begin the press conference. Please state your name and publication before asking a question."
A journalist from an Indian sports network raised his hand first.
"Siddanth, this is your first major ICC tournament as the full-time captain. You made some big changes to the squad. You dropped senior players like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane. Can you explain your thought process behind these selections?"
Siddanth adjusted the microphone. He kept his face completely neutral.
"We pick the squad based on the current requirements of white-ball cricket," Siddanth answered simply. "Ashwin and Rahane are fantastic players. They are very important for our Test team. But in modern one-day cricket, especially in the middle overs, we need bowlers who can take wickets, not just stop runs. That is why we brought wrist spinners like Chahal and Kuldeep. Wrist spin takes wickets. And Ashwin hasn't played a game for a while. As for the batting, we need aggression at the end. That is why Rishabh Pant is here. It is a tactical decision based on team balance."
A British journalist asked the next question.
"Siddanth, you have a very young squad with you. Playing against Pakistan in a major tournament brings a lot of pressure. Do you think the young guys like Pant, Hardik, Bumrah, Kuldeep, and KL Rahul can handle this pressure on a big stage like Edgbaston?"
"They will handle it," Siddanth said. "Pressure is part of international cricket. They have played in the IPL in front of forty thousand people. They know how to handle crowds. I have told them to just focus on the ball and ignore the noise."
Then, a journalist from a prominent Pakistani news channel stood up. He held a notebook in his hand. He looked at Siddanth.
"Siddanth," the journalist started, his tone slightly aggressive. "Tomorrow is the mother of all rivalries. India versus Pakistan. The passion, the history, and the pressure of this match are unmatched in global sports. The entire world is watching. How do you view the significance and the magnitude of this specific game against Pakistan?"
The room went quiet. Every camera zoomed in on Siddanth's face. The Indian and Pakistani media waited for a standard, politically correct answer about respecting the opposition and playing hard cricket.
Siddanth looked directly at the journalist. He looked completely calm.
"You are asking about the significance of this game," Siddanth said. His voice was flat and steady.
"Yes," the journalist nodded.
"It is you guys in the media that have hyped this game so much," Siddanth stated bluntly.
A murmur rippled through the front row of reporters.
Siddanth leaned slightly closer to the microphone.
"Let us look at the facts," Siddanth continued. "When was the last time Pakistan won against us? It was a bilateral series in December 2007. At that time, I was sixteen years old. Now, I am twenty-six years old."
The journalists stopped writing. They stared at him.
"Since I started playing for India in 2008," Siddanth said, his voice ringing clearly across the silent hall. "I have played against Pakistan in World Cups, Champions Trophies, and Asia Cups. We haven't lost a single match to them in my entire career. Not one."
He sat back in his chair.
"So, in my opinion, I see this match as just a regular match," Siddanth concluded. "There is nothing special about it. We will prepare for it the same way we prepare for Sri Lanka or Bangladesh."
The press conference room exploded.
Reporters jumped out of their seats. Multiple people started shouting questions at the same time. The flashbulbs went off rapidly. The statement was a bombshell. The Indian captain had just publicly dismissed the biggest rivalry in cricket history as an one-sided affair.
"Siddanth! Siddanth!" an Indian news anchor shouted over the noise. "Isn't that statement a bit arrogant? You are dismissing a very talented Pakistan team!"
Siddanth raised his hand, asking for quiet. The room slowly settled down.
"It is not arrogance. It is statistics," Siddanth answered calmly. "I respect their players. They have good fast bowlers. But the facts are the facts. If a team has not beaten us in a decade, I cannot view them as a special threat. We will go out tomorrow, follow our process, and play our game. That is all."
The media manager stepped in quickly. "Thank you, everyone. That concludes the press conference."
Siddanth stood up from his chair. He did not look back at the reporters, just walked off the stage and exited the room through the side door.
Within five minutes, the video clip of the press conference hit the internet.
The digital world went into meltdown. The news channels in India and Pakistan immediately broke their regular programming to air the clip on repeat.
In Pakistan, the news media was furious. Anchors shouted at their screens, calling Siddanth Deva disrespectful, arrogant, and overly confident. They demanded that the Pakistan cricket team use his words as motivation to destroy India in the match tomorrow. Former Pakistani players tweeted their anger, stating that cricket is a game of uncertainties and Deva would learn his lesson soon.
In India, the reaction was the complete opposite. The Indian media and the fans loved the confidence of their captain. They praised his blunt honesty.
Twitter became a massive battleground. Indian and Pakistani fans clashed in the replies, using statistics, memes, and dark comedy to fight the fan war.
@PakCricket_Fan: This is peak arrogance from Siddanth Deva! He thinks he is a god. Pakistan will humble him tomorrow! Wait and watch! 😡🇵🇰
@Deva_Supremacy: Humble him? Bro, Siddanth Deva averages 124.5 against Pakistan in ODIs. He literally uses your bowling attack for net practice. 🤫🇮🇳
@MemeLordIndia: Pakistani media right now. [Image of a guy crying behind a smiling mask]. They are mad because he just spoke the truth. 2007 was a long time ago. 😂
@ShoaibAkhtar_Fan: Cricket is played on the pitch, not in press conferences. Mohammad Amir will show him what real fast bowling looks like tomorrow.
@BleedBlueArmy: Deva just said what every Indian fan was thinking. The rivalry is dead. It is a one-sided beating every single time.
@CricketShitpost: Siddanth Deva walks into a room, drops the hardest, most disrespectful statistical fact in cricket history, refuses to elaborate, and leaves. Gigachad. 🗿
@Lahore_Sports: Arrogance comes before a fall. Deva will cry tomorrow when our top order destroys his wrist spinners.
@Stat_Nerd_IND: Fun fact for the Pakistani fans crying about arrogance. Siddanth Deva has two international hat-tricks against Pakistan. He literally owns your team. 📊🔥
@DesiMomDaily: I just hope the TV showrooms in Karachi have stocked up on extra inventory. A lot of televisions are going to be broken tomorrow. 📺🔨
@Pak_Cricket_News: The Indian captain lacks sportsmanship. He should respect the opposition.
@ViratGang: Respect is earned, not demanded. Win a match first, then ask for respect. Deva didn't lie.
@MemeCentral_Pak: India relies only on Deva and Kohli. If Amir gets them out early, the whole Indian batting line-up will collapse like a house of cards.
@SitaSearchParty: Krithika must be laughing in her hotel room right now. Her husband just casually roasted an entire country on live TV. 💅✨
@Indian_Troll: TV breaking companies in Pakistan looking at Siddanth Deva's press conference. [Image of a businessman rubbing his hands together in greed]. 📈💸
@BabarAzam_Squad: Tomorrow is our day. Boys in green will make history at Edgbaston.
@SiddanthDevaFC: Deva really said "I was 16 years old when you last won." The ultimate emotional damage. He brought up his age just to show how long it has been. 💀
@Karachi_Kings_Fan: We will see who laughs tomorrow. India is overconfident.
@HarshaBhogle (Verified): That was an incredibly blunt press conference from Siddanth Deva. He has put all the pressure on himself by making that statement. Now he has to perform tomorrow.
@VirenderSehwag (Verified): Well spoken, Skipper! Tell them the facts! We only prepare hard for tough teams. Tomorrow is just a warm-up game. 😂🇮🇳
@Pak_News_Network: Indian Captain disrespects the mother of all rivalries. Outrage grows among fans.
@Desi_Humor: Pakistani fans trying to find a recent video of their team beating India to reply to the tweets. [Image of a skeleton sitting at a computer desk]. ☠️
@FastBowling_Fan: Wait till Deva takes the new ball tomorrow. He hit 150kph against them last year. The Pakistani openers won't even see the ball. 💨
@CricketFanatic_MUM: The mental warfare has begun before the toss. Deva already won the psychological battle. The Pakistani team will be too angry to play calmly tomorrow. 🧠🔥
@Rawalpindi_Express: We have beaten India in Champions Trophy before. We can do it again. Don't listen to the Indian media.
@GullyCricketGod: Deva basically called the India vs Pakistan match a regular bilateral game against a weak team. The disrespect is legendary.
@MSDian_Forever: Dhoni bhai standing behind the stumps tomorrow watching Deva bowl bouncers after this press conference. [Image of someone eating popcorn]. 🍿
@Pakistani_Troll: Deva will regret his words. Our team is unpredictable.
@IndianSports_Hub: Unpredictable means you lose 90% of the time and win by mistake once. Deva is predictable. He wins 100% of the time.
@MemeLordIndia: Siddanth Deva checking his phone and seeing the entire country of Pakistan angry at him. [Image of a guy sleeping peacefully in bed]. 🛌💤
@BCCI_Updates: The stage is set. India faces Pakistan tomorrow at Edgbaston. The tension has never been higher.
The digital war raged through the night. The fans debated, argued, and shared memes.
Siddanth sat in his hotel room in London. He ate his dinner. He did not care about the news anchors screaming on television. He had spoken his mind based on cold, hard statistics.
Tomorrow was match day. He needed a good night's sleep to bowl fast. The talking was done. Now, the cricket would do the talking.