**Day 22 – Shadow Grounds, Bat & Ball High-Performance Centre**
The main pitch is shut off today.
Instead, players are led into the side field — renamed: "The Shadow Grounds."
No crowd. No media. Just raw cricket.
> A loudspeaker crackles:
"Two teams. One outcome. This is not for the world to see — this is for you to face *yourself.*"
The captains stand before their teams.
**Shadow Team A – Captain: Aryan Raj**
Omkar Shinde
Rajveer Goyal
Kunal Thakur
Ankit Suri
**Shadow Team B – Captain: Zayaan Sheikh**
Sai Menon
Iqbal Nawaz
Yuvraj Rathore
Dev Sharma
---
### Toss Moment – Quiet Fire
Zayaan walks confidently.
Aryan meets him — silent as ever.
> Zayaan (smirking): "No speeches? Just your notebook again?"
> Aryan: "I don't lead by noise."
They shake hands.
Zayaan wins the toss. He chooses to **bat**.
> "Let's set the fire. Let's see if you can chase."
---
### Match Begins – Tension in Motion
Yuvraj opens the innings.
First ball: Omkar to Yuvraj.
A low, drifting off-spin.
**Boom.** Yuvraj steps out and lofts it for six over long-on.
Zayaan claps.
> "That's my opener!"
Next ball: flighted again.
**Stumped.** Aryan had adjusted the field *without saying a word.*
Commentator in Control Room:
> "Aryan is orchestrating silently. Just a single nod… and Omkar delivers."
---
### Mid-Innings Pressure
Iqbal struggles against spin again. Rajveer bowls a perfect yorker — clean bowled.
Sai steadies the ship, playing calculated strokes.
Zayaan, restless on the boundary:
> "Speed it up! They're reading you!"
Sai (mutters): "Stop shouting… it's not helping."
Tension rises.
Final Score: Shadow Team B – 142/9 in 20 overs.
---
### Aryan's Chase – The Calm Counter
Aryan opens with Kunal.
Every ball is watched by the players like it's a war.
Zayaan bowls the third over himself.
Bouncer. Aryan sways. Next ball, fuller.
**Crack.** Aryan drives through covers — effortless timing.
> Iqbal (to Zayaan): "You won't break him by bowling at him. He's not listening to your noise."
---
### Turning Point
At 82/3, Omkar walks in.
Together, Aryan and Omkar rotate strike like it's telepathy.
Every field shift from Zayaan is countered with smart placements.
Final over. 6 needed.
Zayaan hands ball to Sai.
Aryan takes strike. 2 needed off 1.
Sai tosses it up.
**Thump.** Single to cover.
But Omkar sprints two — **match won.**
---
### Aftermatch Reactions
Zayaan throws his cap — storms out.
Yuvraj follows silently.
Sai sits on the pitch, head down.
Meanwhile, Aryan and Omkar simply walk back — no celebration.
> Kunal: "Dude… you both don't even smile?"
> Aryan (softly): "Smiles are for finals. This was just noise."
---
### Mentor Room Debrief
Dravid: "Zayaan's leadership cracked. Aryan's influence is invisible, but real."
Dhoni (smiles): "Now they understand. Cricket doesn't reveal character. It *builds* it."
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**Next: Chapter 23 – Pressure Week Begins: Cutoff Looms**