*May 2016 — M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru*
The sun hung low over Bengaluru, drenching the red-clad stands of the Chinnaswamy Stadium in gold. The crowd roared like a tidal wave, red flags fluttering and chants of "RCB! RCB!" thundering across the terraces. On the boundary line, Ishaan Verma stood still. Helmet in hand. Eyes closed. Breathing.
Tonight wasn't just another game. It was the kind of night that cricket wrote into its folklore — RCB versus Mumbai Indians, with a playoff berth hanging by a thread. And Ishaan was no longer a quiet rookie.
His bat had spoken — a debut fifty, two more scores in the 50s, and a composed 47 in a tense chase. Now, fans held up posters with his name. The whispers were growing louder: *Temperament. Timing. The next big thing?*
But the opponent tonight was MI. Jasprit Bumrah. Lasith Malinga. Harbhajan Singh. Proven match-winners.
---
### Dressing Room — Pre-Match Buzz
The RCB locker room pulsed with tension. Coach Daniel Vettori sketched plans on the board. Kohli stood near him, arms folded, focused.
"Jasprit and Malinga with the new ball. Harbhajan in the middle. Don't give them a sniff. No freebies."
Kohli turned to Ishaan. "You're at five again. Be ready by the eighth over. If one of us falls early, you're in."
AB chuckled. "And Bhajji will chirp. A lot. Don't take the bait."
Chris Gayle tossed a rugby ball across the room. "Light it up, young blood."
Ishaan simply nodded, strapping on his gloves.
---
### First Innings — RCB Batting
*Toss: Mumbai Indians win, opt to bowl first.*
Gayle departed early, caught at deep square leg trying to slog Malinga. Kohli and AB rebuilt. The crowd chanted rhythmically:
**"Kohli! Kohli! AB! AB!"**
But in the ninth over, Kohli mistimed a pull shot and was caught. The dressing room door creaked open.
"Verma, pad up," Vettori said.
Ishaan jogged onto the field. Score: 72/2.
**Commentary – Harsha Bhogle:**
"Here comes the boy wonder. Ishaan Verma — three fifties in five innings. Tonight, he faces fire: Bumrah, Malinga, Harbhajan. Let's see if the kid's as special as they say."
---
**9.1 Overs — Krunal Pandya to Ishaan**
Flighted. Ishaan smothered it with a forward prod. Dot.
**Stump Mic:**
Krunal: "Welcome, kid. Hope you brought a helmet for both ends."
**9.2 Overs — Krunal to Ishaan**
Quicker one. Ishaan turned it behind point. Single.
AB walked up: "No rush. See the ball."
Ishaan nodded. The nerves were gone. This was home.
In the next over, Bumrah returned. Short ball. Ishaan ducked.
Next delivery: on the pads. Flicked through square leg. Four.
The crowd roared:
**"Ishaan! Ishaan!"**
---
### Mid-Innings Shift
AB fell to a Bumrah yorker. Watson joined Ishaan at 88/3.
Ishaan swept Krunal for two boundaries. Then lofted Harbhajan over long-off — elegant, effortless.
**Commentary – Sunil Gavaskar:**
"That's not slogging. That's pure cricket. This young man has class in his DNA."
Bhajji walked past, smiling:
"Nice hit, beta. Let's see you do it again."
Ishaan didn't answer.
McClenaghan came on. Ishaan danced down the track and smashed him over cover. Next ball, a short one — pulled behind square. Four.
Ramp over third man. Crowd exploded.
**Fifty up in 25 balls.**
---
### Final Overs
Watson fell. Kedar Jadhav supported from the other end.
Ishaan finished unbeaten on **63 off 32** balls. Drives, sweeps, ramps — a complete innings.
RCB posted 188/6.
---
### Second Innings — MI Chase
Mumbai responded strong. Parthiv and Rohit took them to 56/0.
Enter Chahal.
Two wickets in an over. Parthiv stumped. Rayudu caught behind.
Ishaan at deep cover saved a boundary with a full-stretch dive. The crowd noticed. Chants of "Ishaan! Ishaan!" echoed again.
With 28 needed off 12, Rohit stood tall.
Watson came in.
**Ball 1:** Rohit pulled. Caught at deep midwicket. Chinnaswamy exploded.
Collapse followed.
RCB won by **12 runs.**
---
### Presentation Ceremony
"Player of the Match: Ishaan Verma."
He walked up, half-smiling, half-stunned.
**Presenter:** "Player of the Match again. Another half-century. Thoughts?"
**Ishaan:** "Feels like I belong. But every match is a fresh page."
---
### Epilogue
In the locker room, Kohli threw his arm around him.
"You showed up tonight. That's what pros do."
AB clapped him on the back. "You're not a passenger, Verma. You're driving one of the engines now."
Later that night, Ishaan called Meera.
"Ma, we won. I scored 63."
"Your Dada's probably clapping from the clouds," she said.
He smiled. "Bhajji couldn't spin past me today."
In his diary, he wrote:
*May 2016. IPL. Player of the Match. Lights brighter. Pressure heavier. Still a boy with a bat and a dream. Just beginning.*