The GOAT of Cricket

Note: Hey everyone sorry for the late chapter today. I was attending a wedding and that's why I forgot to upload the chapter. So I'll upload one more chapter along with 2 daily ones.

*January 18, 2017 | India and Beyond*

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**Scene: Mumbai, India – 9:00 AM IST**

The sun had barely risen over Marine Drive when every screen in every chai tapri, every gym, and every living room burst into a single, synchronized narrative:

**"India has a new crown prince."

"Ishaan Verma: Player of the Series."

"From debut to dominator."**

Clips of the Gabba hundred.

The Adelaide six.

The Sydney handshake.

And the smile.

Every angle. Every analysis. Every anchor.

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**Scene: Star Sports Studio, Mumbai**

**Ravi Shastri (thumping desk):**

> "What a lad! Grit. Temperament. Style. You give him a tough track, he gives you a masterclass!"

**Sunil Gavaskar (adjusting glasses):**

> "He's not just technically sound. He's emotionally aware. That's rare in youth."

**Harsha Bhogle:**

> "We've seen promising talents. But Ishaan carries purpose. A sense of legacy."

Cut to: Montage of Ishaan's drives, his smile, his silence after the Cummins handshake.

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**Scene: Social Media Frenzy**

**@imVkohli**:

> "The crown isn't passed. It's earned. And you earned every bit of it, champ. Proud of you."

**@sachintendulkar**:

> "When pressure calls, true character answers. Welcome to the long road, Ishaan. Stay humble. Stay hungry."

**@msdhoni (rare tweet):**

> "Not bad, kid. Finish what you start."

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**Scene: London – Emma Watson's Instagram Story**

A boomerang.

a blurred SCG scoreboard in the background.

The caption:

> "A storm in silence. #TestCricket"

Twitter India exploded:

> "Emma posted about Ishaan again!"

> "What's brewing?"

> "Imagine Ishaan walking in with Emma at Lord's!"

Every entertainment anchor now had a cricket segment.

Every cricket anchor now had a gossip segment.

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**Scene: Global Reactions**

**Chris Gayle (on SportsMax Jamaica):**

> "This young lion's got swagger, man. Hooked Cummins like he born in Kingston."

**AB de Villiers (on Supersport SA):**

> "He's got a stillness at the crease I love. Reminds me of a young Kane... and maybe a bit of me."

**Ricky Ponting (on Channel 7 Australia):**

> "His balance is sublime. But it's his fight I admire. He took our bowlers head-on, no excuses."

**Kevin Pietersen (on TalkSport UK):**

> "Mark my words. If he stays fit, he'll break records that were never meant to be broken."

**Aaron Finch (on Fox Sports):**

> "I saw his Adelaide innings live. Scary maturity."

**David Warner (in his podcast):**

> "He told me to 'keep counting'. I am. He just hit century no. 4. Bloody good banter, though."

**Shoaib Akhtar (on PTV):**

> "A boy with a bat and no fear. I love it. Rawalpindi would've cheered for him."

**Sir Viv Richards (on Caribbean Cricket Radio):**

> "He carries himself like someone born for legacy. That hook shot? Vintage Caribbean flair."

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**Scene: BCCI Headquarters, New Delhi**

The corridors buzzed.

Reporters swarmed the gates.

Inside, the selection committee sat with phones lighting up every ten seconds.

**BCCI Press Statement (issued at noon):**

> "Ishaan Verma will be a part of India's plans across all three formats moving forward. His performances in Australia have redefined selection metrics."

Press broke the news within minutes.

TV tickers flashed:

> *ISHAN VERMA: NOW ALL-FORMATS PLAYER.*

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**Scene: Kanpur, Ishaan's Home Ground**

A mural had been painted overnight.

Ishaan in full follow-through, pink ball mid-air.

Local kids touched it before nets.

A young boy told the local reporter:

> "He made Kanpur feel bigger than Mumbai."

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**Scene: Ishaan's Hotel Room, Mumbai – Evening**

Amid the noise, he sat quietly. A cup of black tea.

Watching reruns of the SCG match.

Volume low. Eyes steady.

**Inner Monologue:**

> *You don't play for tweets. Or broadcasts. You play for the silence after a cover drive. For the boy inside who dreamt of white flannels and green pitches.*

His phone buzzed. A message from Kohli:

> *"IPL auction's next. Let's talk tomorrow. Welcome to the big rooms, rookie."*

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**Scene: IPL Buzz Begins**

Inside boardrooms, franchise scouts circled his name.

Price projections started at 5 crore.

Commentators debated:

> "Where does he fit best? Mumbai? Bangalore? Delhi?"

> "Open? No. Anchor."

> "Captain material within two seasons."

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**Scene: Emma's Story (Again)**

That night, she posted another.

This time a slow pan across a cricket bat, resting against a window overlooking Sydney Harbour.

No caption.

Just the music:

> *Coldplay – Fix You.*

Twitter exploded again.

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**Scene: Final Frame**

Ishaan walked out to the rooftop. The night air warm, moonlight brushing his face.

Far below, the city roared.

But up here, he could hear only his breath. And maybe his father's.

**Inner Monologue:**

> *They saw a legend. I saw lessons. They saw centuries. I saw struggle. What the world saw... was just the beginning.*

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