After entering the locker room, he was greeted by the moans of dozens of grown men.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed like a disappointed parent.
""Captain!""
"You're all too embarrassing."
"Don't be like that, cap. If we win this match then we can get Prize money of 50,000 rupees. We must win this match."
"He is the right captain. Just think about it we can party all night after this and maybe get some girls to join us."
"Well, since you're all so sincerely begging me…"
Soon, Avis ooans filled the locker room.
An eruption of boisterous laughter shook the arena's walls. It didn't seem that the biggest game of the year was just a few hours away at all. And Avi's team also seems confident about winning the match.
For the last three years, the Mumbai University team has always just reached the qualifier round but this year they reached the finals of the tournament.
It is all thanks to Avi. Avi is not a great player in the team but he always keeps his cool. In a pressure situation, he always thinks calmly and structures plans according to the situation.
Also, Avi became captain by luck. Since no one wanted this position they decided to go by the voting system, And Avi received many votes on that.
***
"Good Afternoon gentleman, I hope we can have a good game today. Everyone knows the stakes, so play free and play safe. Stay within the rules as we don't have to have a problem."
The crowd was deafening. The thumping of feet, the boisterous chants, the heated anticipation boiled in the air, shaking the very stadium they stood within.
The Mumbai University cricket stadium stood within a massive glass structure formed of curved triangular panels. It danced with the setting sun beautifully, capturing dark reds and oranges that played across its reflective surfaces.
The green, Vricket fields were empty except for 11 men who stood on the 70 meters in facing one another. Clicking and flashing cameras sounded, trying to capture every moment.
Avi stood proudly, two of his teammates to either of his sides. He calmly smiled at the arrogant sneers of his opponents from Borivali College.
Avi's wearing a white jersey with his name on his back and his jersey number. The number on his back stood out as black colour. The number 7.
"Here is the coin we will be flipping today." The Head Umpire continued to speak, stretching out a beautifully designed coin that was about half the width of his palm. "
On one side we have an Indian tiger design. This will be heads.
"On this side, we have the one rupee design. It will be Tells."
The Head Referee allowed the Elven from both teams players to see both sides.
"Are you prepared to lose?"
A gaze filled with confidence bore down on Avis. The culprit was a young man with long flowing blond hair.
This young man was a Captain of Borivali College captain, Ajay Jadhav.
"The result will be decided that" Avi replied faintly.
"You know the drill. you're the home team. Call it in the air."
The Head Umpire tossed the coin into the air.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. The piercing gazes of two young men met across space, a spinning coin falling slowly between them.
"Tails."
The coin landed with a soft thud on the grass below.
"The result is Tails. Mumbai University, would you like to Bat or Boal?"
Leonel grinned as though the answer was obvious.
"We would like to bat first."
Avi turned, heading back to the sidelines. He grabbed his helmet's face mask, sliding it onto his head like a knight's helm. He grabbed the gloves and put them on his hand and an English weallo cricket bat.
At that moment, his aura completely changed. A violent pressure suffocated the Mumbai University pavilion as almost a hundred pairs of gazes landed on Leonel's dark, tinted visor.
Soon, the entire stadium fell into an eerie quiet as Avi met each one of their gazes head-on.
"We will win." That was all Avi said.
A rush of emotion filled the air, a wild cheering shaking the very ground once more.
"Let's go," Avi said to his partner Adrash, as they headed toward the cricket pitch.
Avi took a few steps and turned his head to search for someone in this crowd of people.
He was searching for Aina but after like minute, he still didn't find her.
Shaking his head in disappointment Avi reached at cricket pitch.
A cricket pitch is a total of 24 footsteps with stumps art the both sides, there are also white line marks on the pitch. These line marks are used to keep the bowler to not throwing a no-ball or white ball.
This Mark is also important to batters, if they go outside of the white mark during the match and if any player stumps the wickets they are out.
Adarsh took position on the first strike and Avi is non-strike. Soon a round ground cricket stadium filled with Elevn players of the Borivali team.
The umpire also took his position. A bowler came to the umpire with a season ball in his hand.
"Umpire, right side continue, Keeper in." A bowler said to the umpire, it's important to tell which side you are going to bowl if you don't say this umpire will give you a no-ball.
Adarsh Mandal, Who is on strike takes a good look at the player in the stadium, From dip-mid wicket to sure leg, and one keeper behind him.
All of the Elevn player gazes are fixed on him. The game will be of total of 10 over, which means 60 balls will be played in the first half and again 60 balls will be played in the second half.
A fast bowler named Ravi takes his position to bowl, he hits the right-arm fast bowler so he has to run before throwing the ball.
Avi also put his bat on the edge of the white line ready to run at any moment.
Seeing everyone was ready umpire raised his hand.
"Start the match."
With that match started.
Ravi came to full speed and slightly jumped before throwing a fastball on a good length.
A ball came fast, the ball Baobounced and looked like Adrash going doge it but he didn't. Adarsh found a gap in the square cut and hit it hard.
And balls go one bounce to the boundaries of the stadium. Four runs.
The umpire waves his hand in front of him signalling that it's four.
The scoreboard also changes at the run.
[ Mum Uni:- 4 runs/1 ball. (team score)
Adarsh mandal:- 4 runs/ 1 ball.
Avi Pandey:-0 run/ 0 ball. ]
[And here we go again. The start of fourth year of College started with 4 runs by Adarsh Mandal, his partner is Avi Pandey, a new captain of this year's team.
What do you think Gautam, like always will Avi be able to keep his cool? After all, he is the new captain of this team, so there must be great pressure on him.]
[I think we all know the answer to that, Suraj. In case you've all forgotten, let me remind you. Until the last three years, Mumbai University was only able to get a qualifying round but this year they are in the final and we all know that it's because of Avi, it's feels like Avi some kind of dark horse in the tournament.]
[Don't think we don't know what you're doing, Gautam. You're just playing favourites here and you can't do that.]
The entertaining commentary of the Suraj-Gautam duo was in full swing, the liveliness was intoxicating.
[ And here it is! The second ball of the match.]