A/N: If you like the story, rember to give a review. It'll motivate to continue with sa passion ✌️😁
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Back in the MI dressing room, the vibe was pure joy.
Players who had watched him carry drinks and pull off impossible catches just weeks ago were now treating him like he'd always belonged.
League stage and playoffs were completely different, so were not convinced but after today inning, they knew he was different.
He had that nerves of steel.
Rohit kept ruffling his hair.
Sachin gave him a quiet word and a pat on the shoulder that ant more than any trophy.
The final was still a few days away, but one thing was already certain, Indian cricket had a shiny new na everyone was talking about.
Rocky Rudra.
And the boy had only just started.
___
The dust from Qualifier 1 had barely settled when the playoff fever hit its peak.
Mumbai Indians had booked their spot in the final with Rocky Rudra's explosive hundred, but Chennai Super Kings refused to fade away.
In Qualifier 2 at Eden Gardens, CSK faced Rajasthan Royals in a do-or-die clash.
The Yellow Army turned up in force, and CSK powered through with a clinical chase, winning by 5 wickets.
Dhoni's n were back in the final, exactly where everyone expected them to be.
The stage was set: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, the 2013 IPL Final, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 26 May 2013.
___
MI vs CSK , The Grand Finale.
Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Broadcast: Sony MAX & Sony SIX
Show: Extraaa Innings T20
The humidity in Kolkata was thick enough to cut with a knife, but the atmosphere was pure electricity.
Forty thousand fans turned the iconic ground into a cauldron of noise and colour.
Blue and yellow jerseys battled for dominance in the stands while celebrities filled the VIP boxes, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, business tycoons, and politicians all soaking in the biggest night of the IPL season.
This wasn't just a ga.
It was a civil war in Indian cricket, Blue vs Yellow.
The air crackled with tension, chants, and the occasional friendly (or not-so-friendly) banter between rival fans.
The Orange Cap leaderboard flashed on the giant screens during the pre-match presentation:
1. Michael Hussey – 712 runs in 15 matches.
2. Chris Gayle – 708 runs in 14 matches.
3. Virat Kohli – 634 runs in 14 matches.
4. Rocky Rudra – 570 runs 9 matches.
Even with a late start to his playing ti, the 18-year-old from Mumbai Indians sat just behind the big guns.
The crowd murmured every ti his na appeared
(A/N: I made a mistake. It should be 10 matches but let's just think he missed a match in the middle. Can't correct it because I have already written 61 chapters and this stats are there on many chapters so....😞)
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Inside the Extraaa Innings studio, the air-conditioning was struggling against the heat of Navjot Singh Sidhu's taphors.
Samir Kochhar: "The world is watching! The City of Joy has turned into a cauldron of nerves. Harsha, look at that Orange Cap leaderboard. It's Michael Hussey vs. the newcor, Rocky Rudra."
Harsha Bhogle (With his signature tilt of the head):
"It's staggering, Samir. You look at Hussey, the 'Mr. Cricket' who has been there since the first ball of the season."
"And then you look at Rudra. He has played nearly half the gas, yet he's breathing down their necks. He's still fourth on the leaderboard. He isn't just knocking on the door of greatness. He's trying to kick it down!"
Danny Morrison: "The kid has been a revelation. From substitute fielder in the first six gas to this. Pressure of a final? We'll find out soon."
Sidhu: "Oye Guru! This boy is like a pocket dynamo! He doesn't have a bat in his hand. He has a magic wand! If he fires tonight, the Yellow Army will be retreating faster than a cat in a dog show! Thoko Taali!"
___
Twitter was already beco a battlefield:
@MI_PaltanForever: "Rudra 4th on Orange Cap with 6 gas less 🔥 Kohli at 3rd better watch out. Final loading!"
@CSKARMY: "Orange Cap ans nothing if you lose the final. Dhoni > everything 😂 #WhistlePodu"
@cricketfanatic: "Fans fighting since morning. This is peak IPL energy."
___
At The Toss:
Rohit Sharma, looking calm despite the weight of his first final as captain, called it right.
"We'll bat first. It's a big ga, put runs on the board."
___
Over 1 – The Statent:
The first ball of the final.
Dwayne Bravo went for the psychological blow, a searing, chest-high short ball.
Most openers would have ducked, let alone a boy who just turned 18 two months ago.
Rocky Rudra didn't even blink.
He swivelled, the "MI" logo on his helt a blur, and hamred a pull shot that vanished into the stands.
Danny Morrison (On Air):
"OHHHH! WELCO TO THE FINAL, BABY! Rocky Rudra has just sent a ssage to the Milky Way! That is out of here!"
Over 4.3:
Ravindra Jadeja ca on to slow things down. He fired a quick, flat delivery.
Rocky didn't wait. He danced down the track, eting the ball at its pitch and lofting it with a high elbow over long-on.
Ravi Shastri: "That is high... it's handso... IT'S INTO THE SECOND TIER! This kid is playing with the arrogance of a veteran. The crowd is absolutely losing it!"
By the end of the Powerplay, the scoreboard flickered: MI 58/0 (6.0).
Rudra 41 (19).*
___
As the pitch slowed, wickets fell.
Sachin went early to a roar of silence.
Ex-captain and current captain, Ponting and Sharma watched from the dugout with their fists clenched.
Rocky anchored.
He traded the "biff" for the "nudge", sprinting between wickets as if his life depended on it.
(A/N: Biff=Hitting, Nudge=Strike rotating.)
He brought up his 50 with a delicate late-cut off Ashwin, barely celebrating, just a small tap of the bat.
He finished on 74 off 52*.
A lone warrior's knock.
___
CSK were cruising at 90/2.
Suresh Raina looked set to steal the trophy. He slashed a wide one from Mitchell Johnson.
It looked like a certain boundary.
Rocky, stationed at point, didn't just dive.
He launched himself like a heat-seeking missile.
The ball stuck in his outstretched left palm inches from the grass.
Harsha Bhogle: "He's a bird! He's a plane! No, he's Rocky Rudra! That is the catch that wins you championships. Sensational!"
___
Later, in the death overs, Rocky produced a direct hit from point that ran out a dangerous batsman by inches.
His fielding impact was massive, saving crucial runs and creating breakthroughs.
The chase went down to the wire.
CSK needed 25 off the last 12 balls.
Hearts pounded in both camps.
Celebrities in the stands were standing.
Fans praying loudly in the aisles.
Final monts were pure drama.
Fortunately, MI held their nerve.
When the final wicket fell and MI secured their 10-run victory, the dugout emptied.
In the middle of the chaos, Sachin Tendulkar found Rocky.
The Master Blaster's eyes were glistening.
He didn't just pat him.
He pulled him into a hug that slled of sweat and victory.
"You played like a champion today, beta," Sachin whispered over the roar.
"You didn't just win a trophy. You won hearts."
___
In the dressing room, the celebration was raw and emotional.
Rohit poured champagne over Rocky's head.
His idol Ricky Ponting gave him a long, tight hug.
"You reminded why I love this ga, kid. Never lose that fire."
___
Post-Match Presentation:
Ravi Shastri beckoned the youngster over to the microphone.
Ravi Shastri: "Rocky, you've been the X-factor. From carrying drinks to carrying the team on your shoulders. How does it feel?"
Rocky, wiping champagne from his eyes, his voice cracking, "Sir, I just kept thinking about what Ricky and Rohit told , play the ball, not the occasion. To stand here next to Sachin-paaji with this trophy... it's not a dream. Dreams aren't this loud."
As Rocky stepped back, the roar of the Eden Gardens crowd swelled to a deafening peak.
Ravi Shastri's grin was wide as he turned his mic toward the next hero, but Rocky was already lost in the blur of blue jerseys.
Rohit stepped forward, his face a mask of pure, exhausted joy. He hoisted the heavy silver trophy toward the sky, and as if on cue, the Kolkata night exploded.
A barrage of fireworks turned the sky into a canopy of gold and violet, the thunder of the pyrotechnics competing with the chant of "MI! MI!".
In the middle of the confetti storm, the team sward together for the final photograph and the image froze right there: young Rudra and a young Jasprit Bumrah standing side-by-side. Rudra had his hand resting on Bumrah's shoulder, both of them looking at the cara with the pure, ssy joy of two kids who couldn't believe they had actually won.
For an 18-year-old who had started the season on the fringes, this night felt like destiny.
And this was only the beginning.
____
Fans who were Leaving Eden Gardens..
The Paltan Fans:
"I've waited six years for this! Seeing Sachin lift that trophy is better than any hundred he's scored. Rocky Rudra is the future, man! That catch... I'm losing my voice!"
"We always knew Rohit was a leader, but Rudra was the engine. The way he walked out and just took the ga away from CSK? Total boss move!"
The Yellow Army, Csk fans who were also leaving, spoke with long faces:
"Gutted. MSD almost pulled it off at the end, but you can't win when a kid like Rocky fields like he's got magnets in his hands. He saved at least 15 runs. Fair play to MI, they finally got one over us."
"Dhoni was fighting alone. We missed a trick not getting Rudra out early. Every ti he cos on the screen next year, I'm going to have nightmares about that pull shot."
___
In 2013, the VIP boxes at Eden Gardens were a hub of Bollywood royalty.
Amitabh Bachchan was seen talking with Salman Khan:
"The intensity is remarkable. I haven't seen the Eden Gardens this split since... well, ever. Young Rocky Rudra, there is a certain 'Angry Young Man' fire in his batting, don't you think, Salman?"
Salman Khan adjusting his sunglasses, replied confidently: "Pure swag, Amit-ji. He's playing like he's already a superstar. No fear. The way he cleared the boundary off Morkel? Ek baar jo maine commitnt kar di... that's how he's playing. He's committed to that MI trophy."
Shah Rukh Khan joining in, said, "As a KKR owner, it hurts to see soone else win at Eden, but you have to appreciate the theatre of it. Rocky has that 'King' energy tonight. To do this in a final at 18? He's making us all look old!"
___
@imVkohli (verified):
"Incredible final! Heart goes out to the CSK boys, fought till the end. But what a knock by young Rocky Rudra. 74 in a final is special. This IPL just keeps producing gems. 👏🔥 #IPLFinal #MIvCSK"
@SrBachchan (verified):
"T 1124 - MUMBAI INDIANS CHAMPIONS !! Huge congrats to Nita ji, Rohit and the team. Rocky Rudra... a star is born at Eden Gardens tonight! What a catch, what a player! Extraordinary! 🏆"
@BeingSalmanKhan (verified):
"MI won! Solid performance by the kid Rocky. Full on entertainnt. Treat for the fans tonight. Chalo, celebration ti! #IPLFinal"
@espncricinfo (verified):
"Mumbai Indians win IPL 2013! Rocky Rudra's 74 and electric fielding the standout performance 🔥🏆"
@virendersehwag (verified):
"Saw a bit of myself in Rocky today. No fear, only clear intent. Well played MI! #IPLFinal"
@GauravKapur:
"Rocky Rudra's catch was so good I think I need to see a doctor because my jaw is still on the floor. #ExtraaaInnings #IPL"
@MIPaltan:
"Started as a sub, finished as a LEGEND. Rocky, you are our Golden Boy! 🏆💙"
@CSKARMY:
"Gutted but fair play. Rudra played like a champion tonight. Congrats MI."
___
Post-Match Atmosphere: The "Extraaa Innings" Pulse
Navjot Singh Sidhu:
"Guru, the fans aren't leaving! They want to stay until the sun cos up! Rocky Rudra didn't just win a match. He started a revolution. He's the Kohinoor in the crown of Mumbai tonight!"
Harsha Bhogle "It's 1:00 AM in Kolkata, and the only thing louder than the fireworks is the na 'Rocky' being chanted by forty thousand people as they are celebrating. This is the magic of the IPL."
.
.
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(A/N: 2013 ipl is over. I'll write so slice of life chapters, training too.)
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