Delhi night had been settled just like a velvet over the city-- quiet, dense, and watchful. Inside a hotel room in the South extension, Raghav Rathore sat alone by the window, one leg was propped up on the armrest, a half-empty cup of black tea getting cold on the side of the table. Outside, the street lights flickered over passing scooters and restless dogs. The city didn't know what had just happened in the morning. Not yet.
Suddenly, His phone buzzed once and then again.
The caller ID showed Meera Banerjee.
Raghav let it ring a few seconds longer and then picked it up and said in a calm tone."Yes?"
There was no hesitation in her voice. She said, "It's done."
He didn't respond immediately. The silence spread not out of a surprise but something deeper-- like the sound of a man acknowledging the weight of a long journey that will finally begin.
"Unanimous?" He asked at last.
"Close enough". Meera said her tone was dry but warm, "There were the usual objections on sponsors, media and time frame but Arjun shut them down and said that you had given us more clarity in 30 minutes than we had in five years."
Raghav gives a soft chuckle. "I didn't go there to charm anyone."
She quickly said, "Exactly. That's why it worked."
For a moment there was silence between them. Only the hum of the hotel AC filled the gap between their words. Then Meera spoke again, more softer now.
"You do know what you're asking from yourself, don't you?"
"Yes," he said, staring out at the empty Street. " I know everything."
There was no drama in his voice just certainty the kind that could carry a nation.
"Then let's begin," Meera said. "You'll receive the full authorisation. Access to data, scouting, networks, and regional contacts. We'll make it official in writing by October. But from this moment, the project is yours.
There was again a silence for some moments.
He didn't thank her nor she expected him to.
Instead, he simply said with confidence :
"I'll make them believe."
And with that, the line went dead.
(Late evening-- AIFF Technical Headquarters, One day after the board meeting)
The office was mostly empty. The halls were dark except for the faint glow of a few emergency lights. Meera Banerjee sat at her desk with sleeves rolled up and she was going through a spreadsheet file with the youth statistics. Then the door creaked behind her.
She didn't look up and asked. " You're still here?"
Raghav stepped in holding two cups of strong black tea put one down beside her and said "I am not done yet."
She leaned back and looked at him arching an eyebrow. "Done with what."
He didn't answer immediately. He moved to the window, looked at the dark empty car lot below, and took a sip of tea.
"Scouting starts in five days," he said finally. "I will be on the road with Arvind and no other filters or agents. Just bare fields with dusty boots and draw instinct."
Meera closed her laptop slowly "You will be going state by State?"
Raghav nodded." Yes. I will be travelling from the northeast to Kerala's academy lines. I don't care if they've played in shoes or barefoot. I just want eyes, minds and hearts that haven't been broken by the system yet."
She folded her arms, "And then what?"
Returns back to her. With his sharp and alert eyes. And said calmly.
"Then I bring the hundred best here - our hundred most promising warriors to deserve it the most."
"Boys with edge not polish. I don't want academy-trained passers who crumble under pressure.I want mentality, fire and adaptability."
She tilted her head, got interested and asked.
"And how do you plan to shift through them."
"The seven-day trial," Raghav said directly. "Brutal, pure and stripped of comfort. No hand-holding. I'll simulate fatigue, chaos and pressure. I'll make them lose everything and see who breaks in those circumstances. The ones who stand when everything else doesn't. Those are the ones I take forward."
Meera taps her fingers against the desk and "What would be the outcomes?"
"Twenty- six of them," he replied. My foundation. India's National under-17 squad. The first true blueprint about the India that everyone wants."
She studied him for a moment. Then her face and lips curved into the faintest smile.
"Are you ready to disappoint a lot of people, Raghav?"
He smiled back slower and colder.
"If I don't then I am not doing it the right way."
The search begins:
The heat hadn't yet settled from the AIFF meeting, but by the following week Raghav Rathore was already back for his mission- boots on the ground travelling around the country with a single mission: find the future of Indian football.
He wasn't alone. At his side was Arvind Singh, his trusted assistant coach, a former full-back turned into a scout. He his known for his sharp eye and no-nonsense approach. Together, they formed the spine of a two-man working on a revolution.
From the crowded allies of Kolkata to the mountain fields of Darjeeling, the sun-baked pitches to the monsoon-hit training grounds of Kerala. They had left no zones untouched. Over the next 5 months, they watched 570 + players, attended local tournaments, held open trials and met families who saw football not just as a sport but as a salvation for the country.
Some days, they watched 20 players, other days one player some impressed and some not.
But slowly a pattern started to emerge. And their hard work started to pay off:
At a windspector training camp in Haryana they spotted a player named Pratik Sangwan, a fearless 15-year-old goalkeeper driving into sand and gravel without hesitation.
"He has got that madness. It's crazy."Arvind noted.
Down in the south of Kerala,they found Ibrahim Shaikh towering, composed and burged in his penalty area like a seasoned Pro.
Raghav jotted, "Commands respect and a future captain material?"
In Punjab, they found Karanjeet Singh who outmuscled forwards twice of his size and age
"Old school," Raghav murmured. "But gold."
In rains off West Bengal, the discovery of 4 gems that change everything. Ritvik Dey, A tireless right back with a warrior heart.
Karan Singh, a left Winger who danced through defenders like a poets touch and looked untouchable.
They found Shubhankar Verma, a defensive midfielder built like a warrior monk. He didn't stop running it. He tackled, covered, passed and repeated it.
"He protects the backline like a fortress," Arvind said.
"Every team needs a soldier," Raghav added.
And in wet pitch in Bengal, they found Kishore Mondal who was calm in chaos, his rustler instincts where uncunny. Always in the right spot and never rushing. He is noted in two goals with ease.
"He's like ice," Raghav whispered.
"Pressure proof."
The duo sat at a tea stall after a three-hour session in Patna, watching replays of Prakash Yadav, a teenage midfielder who played like he'd already seen the game three moves ahead.
"He's different," Arvind whispered.
Raghav nodded. "Yeah that boy...he's the brain."
In Gujarat, a dusty afternoon match brought a quite a surprise, Devansh Mehta a 15-year-old centre back who didn't shout or tackle recklessly. Instead he read the play like a book.
"Read the game before the striker even moves," Arvind said.
Raghav watched him calmly intercepting a counter. "That boy doesn't panic. He calculates."
Far North East in Assam amid the the lush fields, they found Sahil Boro -smaller in size but lightning in recovery. In one match,he chased down a breakaway forward from 20 yards behind.
"Heart of a lion," Raghav said. "What he lacks in inches, he makes up with fire."
In the backstreets of Goa, they spotted Joel Joseph, a marauding left-back who played with flair more than structure. He overlapped, dribbled and even nutmegged a winger twice his age.
Arvind raised an eyebrow."More winger than a defender."
Raghav smirked."Good. We'll teach him the rest."
In the hills of Uttarakhand, Pranav Rawat showcased versatility- playing both right and left-back seamlessly in one match. Two-footed, tactical and aware of transitions beautifully. He covered for his teammates instinctively.
"We need thinkers like him," said Raghav."Not just sprinters."
On a windy field in Rajasthan, Ravi Bhatt played like an old-school deep midfielder. Rarely flashy- but always there on it. One interception. One short pass again and again.
"He won't make headlines," Arvind said.
"But he'll win us matches," Raghav replied.
In Pondicherry, they watched Manav Iyer with curiosity. A playmaker with subtle genius. He didn't dazzle with stepovers but unlocked defences with a perfectly timed pass or clever drift into the space.
"He sees things others don't," Raghav muttered. "We need his instincts."
In Jammu & Kashmir, Sameer was impossible to ignore. He held off defenders, chested down long balls and scored with both feet. In one session, he bullied two centre-backs and nodded in a stunning header.
"Target man," Arvind said.
"And a finisher," Raghav confirmed. "He leads the line."
In the foggy lanes of Darjeeling, Sanjay Tamang danced past defenders like wind through trees. He dribbled with mischief and stunned bursts. Coaches and scouts stopped to watch him.
"He doesn't run," Raghav smiled. "He glides."
In Madhya Pradesh, Rehan Ali caught their eye - not for power, but his intelligence. He dropped deep and darted back into channels. A hybrid attacker who defied roles.
"Crafty," Arvind noted.
"Modern," Raghav agreed."He adapts."
By the end of October 2026, their notebooks were full. Cuts were made, mistakes corrected and names underlined. Photos pinned. As the calendar turned to November, the message was clear:
These aren't just kids. They're the seeds of a new India.
Raghav and Arvind scouted over 25 states and 570+ players. And Finalized 100 from them for their next phase.