(A/N):
Drop a here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
Guys I hope you put more comnts and power stones... Which will encourage ...
Guys For Mc's next two projects after 3.
--> Billa.
--> Hollywood movie can you give a suggestion...[ Since it was an A.U In my mind it was Titanic.]
--> Any suggestion for movies here fornext movie after the first two.
....
Beside Saurabh stood two more young players slightly older than him Shikhar Dhawan, and Ajinkya Rahane.
The mont Saurabh reached him, he instantly pulled Karuppu into a quick hug.
"Finally We will be playing in the sa team! I was worried there is no known face here."
Karuppu laughed hearing this guy.
"-Haha!!!"
"You talking like we joined army."
Saurabh imdiately introduced the others properly.
"This fellow already you know…"
Then pointing dramatically.
"Future headache for bowlers."
Both Dhawan and Rahane laughed hearing that.
Shikhar Dhawan especially carried extrely lively energy even while casually standing.
anwhile Rahane looked calr and more observant compared to the others.
The introductions themselves beca easy almost imdiately.
"Shikhar."
"Ajinkya."
"Karuppu."
Handshakes happened naturally.
And within seconds the cricket conversation itself started flowing.
Because cricketers integrated fast when mutual respect existed.
Almost imdiately Dhawan grinned and asked the question clearly sitting in his head already which he had seen in U-19 World cup.
"Bro…"
"That kneeling shot…"
"What madness was that?"
Rahane nodded instantly agreeing.
-Nod!
"Seriously."
"How did you even think of playing that in finals pressure? How much ti do you have toplay that shot."
Both were referring to the now-famous kneeling ramp shot Karuppu had played during the U-19 World Cup final against South Africa.
The shot had already beco highlight material across cricket circles because of:
the pressure situation, the insane confidence, and the execution itself.
Karuppu smirked slightly hearing the question.
-Smirk!
"Honestly? I just trusted the swing."
That answer imdiately made Rahane blink thoughtfully.
-Blink!
anwhile Dhawan laughed loudly.
"-Haha!!!"
"See? This is difference between talented fellows and normal people."
Karuppu imdiately pointed at him.
"No no. If it missed …today newspapers call clown who can't bat."
That made all of them laugh.
Soon the conversation naturally shifted deeper into cricket.
Bowling conditions.
South African bounce.
IPL pressure all that made them little nervous.
Batting positions they would usually prefer.
And little by little, the remaining awkwardness disappeared completely.
Nearby, the managent mber quietly noticed sothing important.
Karuppu was integrating naturally already.
No ego barriers. No celebrity distance.
That mattered hugely inside dressing-room culture.
Satisfied seeing the younger players already chatting comfortably among themselves, the managent staff quietly excused himself and left them alone.
Soon the four young cricketers settled into one side of the lounge continuing their conversation like college boys more than professional athletes.
Dhawan animatedly described how he once tried copying the kneeling shot during practice and nearly injured himself.
Rahane calmly admitted he first thought the shot was pure luck until watching the replay angles later.
Saurabh anwhile kept exaggerating stories from the U-19 World Cup tour shalessly.
At one point Karuppu simply leaned back into the airport lounge chair looking around quietly for a second.
As the younger Indian players continued chatting inside the Mumbai Indians lounge area, the atmosphere suddenly began shifting little by little.
Not because anyone announced anything.
But because one by one…
The legends started arriving.
The first visible reaction ca from nearby support staff suddenly straightening slightly.
Then murmurs spread quietly across the younger players seated around the area.
And monts later—
Sachin Tendulkar entered the lounge.
Even though everyone there were professional cricketers themselves…
The effect his presence created still felt unreal.
Conversations softened automatically.
Several players instinctively stood up slightly in greeting.
Because this was not just another player.
This was Sachin.
The man many of them had literally grown up worshipping through television screens.
Behind him, more stars slowly began arriving one after another.
Sanath Jayasuriya.
Still carrying that dangerous relaxed aura of soone capable of destroying bowling attacks casually.
Then ca Lasith Malinga with his unmistakable curly hair and calm swagger.
Nearby even so airport staff discreetly stared recognizing him instantly.
Soon afterward Harbhajan Singh, and Zaheer Khan also arrived carrying themselves with the natural confidence of established international stars.
These weren't retired nas surviving on reputation.
Every single one of them were still top national-team players, match winners, and operating in dangerous form currently.
Watching them gather together inside one franchise lounge honestly felt surreal even for the younger dostic players.
Nearby Karuppu, Saurabh Tiwary, and Shikhar Dhawan quietly looked at the scene unfolding before them with obvious awe.
"...."
"...."
"...."
Not fanboy excitent exactly.
Sothing deeper.
The realization that they were now sharing dressing rooms with the very people whose posters once hung inside countless Indian bedrooms.
Saurabh leaned slightly toward Karuppu and muttered under his breath:
"Dude…"
"That's Sachin sir sitting there casually."
Dhawan imdiately replied in awe.
"Don't stare too much. He'll think we escaped zoo."
Karuppu tried not to laugh.
"...."
anwhile Rahane sat nearby looking equally stunned internally despite his calr expression.
Soon introductions began happening naturally across groups.
Senior players greeted younger players casually.
So already knew about Karuppu's U-19 performances, auction buzz, and his unusual cinema-cricket dual career.
At one point Harbhajan Singh jokingly asked him.
"So when are you acting in Punjabi movie?"
Karuppu imdiately replied without missing beat.
"When you give hero entry recomndation."
Even Bhajji laughed loudly hearing that.
"-Haha!!!"
The atmosphere relaxed considerably afterward.
Soon after the final boarding announcents arrived, the entire squad slowly moved toward the private aircraft arranged for the franchise.
Even boarding itself felt unreal.
Customized team seating. Franchise branding.
Support staff coordinating luggage.
International stars casually discussing cricket beside each other.
As Karuppu settled into his seat near the younger player group, he looked once through the aircraft window toward the Mumbai runway lights outside.
India slowly sat behind him now.
Ahead waited South Africa.
And sowhere inside him… Excitent steadily kept growing.
The long journey finally began.
For nearly fifteen hours players chatted, watched films, discussed cricket, slept, played cards, and occasionally got interrupted by support staff discussing schedules.
At one point even Malinga and Jayasuriya beca curious hearing younger Indian players discussing Karuppu's famous kneeling ramp shot from the U-19 final.
Naturally, they demanded explanation imdiately.
Karuppu ended up awkwardly demonstrating partial batting motion in the airplane aisle itself while Dhawan overdramatically narrated like sports comntator.
Even Zaheer Khan laughed seeing the nonsense unfolding mid-flight.
"-Haha!!!"
Eventually after the long exhausting travel… The aircraft finally descended toward:
O. R. Tambo International Airport...
As the plane landed, many players instinctively looked outside toward the South African landscape visible through the windows.
Different skies. Different atmosphere of the country.
Different cricketing world.
Once immigration and airport formalities finished, the Mumbai Indians squad was received outside by luxury AC buses already arranged for transportation.
The cold South African breeze imdiately surprised several Indian players stepping outside.
Especially the younger ones.
Dhawan rubbed his hands dramatically.
"Why air conditioner outside also?"
The players laughed while loading luggage.
Soon the buses began moving toward the Irene Country Lodge
The journey itself felt beautiful. It took nearly an hour of travel.
During the travel Karuppu enjoied the Wide roads. Open landscapes. Different architecture.
And a calmness completely unlike crowded Indian cities.
Several younger players quietly stared outside through the windows absorbing everything.
For many of them…
This was their first major overseas professional cricket tour experience.
Once they finally arrived at the lodge, even the senior players looked impressed.
The property carried peaceful luxury: lakeside views, greenery, wooden interiors, and quiet atmosphere.
The team managent imdiately inford everyone clearly.
"Today full rest."
"No heavy activity."
"Training begins tomorrow."
And once training started… There would be no slowing down.
The next twenty days transford the entire squad fully into preparation mode.
Morning fitness.
Fielding drills.
Bowling sessions.
Match simulations among the team.
Batting practice.
Recovery work.
Strategy etings.
Everything intensified rapidly.
And sowhere during those twenty days…
Karuppu quietly began making very strong impressions inside the camp.
Especially because the South African conditions suited him frighteningly well.
The bounce. The carry.
The pace-friendly surfaces.
Everything amplified his bowling naturally.
During net sessions his heavy-ball pace, deceptive slower deliveries, sharp variations, and aggressive short balls repeatedly troubled batters.
Even senior players started noticing him properly now.
anwhile his batting too carried dangerous unpredictability.
He wasn't textbook. He wasn't safe.
But he was explosive.
And more importantly—Fearless.
The coaching staff especially took note of that.
Shaun Pollock, serving within the coaching structure, particularly liked Karuppu's understanding of pace variation.
At one point after a bowling session,
Pollock himself stopped and spoke with him about seam position adjustnts for South African pitches.
For Karuppu, that conversation alone felt surreal.
Because this was Shaun Pollock.
One of the finest fast bowlers cricket had seen.
anwhile even Sachin, Harbhajan, Zaheer, and several senior players began warming toward the young all-rounder naturally.
Not because of hype.
Because of work ethic he carried.
Karuppu trained seriously. Very seriously.
No shortcuts. No "celebrity" behavior.
When training began—Actor mode disappeared completely.
Even fielding sessions beca another area where he started standing out strongly.
Especially under Jonty Rhodes.
The legendary fielder himself visibly enjoyed Karuppu's athletic instincts.
Diving stops.
Direct-hit attempts.
Reaction speed.
Commitnt during drills.
At one point Jonty laughed loudly after Karuppu threw himself full-length onto practice turf for a near-impossible stop.
"That's the madness I like!"
The praise itself spread confidence among the younger players too.
And slowly…
Inside the Mumbai Indians camp far away in South Africa…
Karuppu stopped feeling like "the new auction boy," or "the actor cricketer."
Little by little—He started becoming part of the team.
After the intense training sessions ended each day,
The younger Indian players usually refused to stay locked inside the hotel rooms like disciplined professionals.
Especially Karuppu, Saurabh Tiwary, Ajinkya Rahane, and Shikhar Dhawan.
The four gradually beca inseparable during the South African camp.
Whenever the day's practice ended and recovery sessions finished,
They would often roam around nearby areas together:
exploring streets, trying local food, visiting shopping areas, or simply sitting sowhere talking nonsense for hours.
For many of them, this overseas experience itself still felt exciting beyond cricket.
South Africa looked completely different from India cleaner open roads, cold evening winds, European-style cafes, massive skies, and calm urban landscapes.
Even the food beca another adventure.
Dhawan especially behaved like self-appointed food critic everywhere.
At one local restaurant he dramatically declared one spicy grilled dish "future wife material."
Rahane nearly choked laughing hearing that.
anwhile Karuppu surprisingly adapted quickly to foreign environnts.
Not because he acted sophisticated.
Rather because he naturally enjoyed observing:
people, cultures, local behavior, and atmosphere.
At one point Saurabh even joked.
"Dude…"
"You look less tourist and more fellow planning movie shoot here."
Honestly… He wasn't entirely wrong.
anwhile across: India, South Africa, Australia, England, and every major cricket-following nation,
IPL fever was steadily exploding.
The relocation itself had unintentionally increased global curiosity.
This was no longer viewed as just Indian dostic cricket.
Now it felt international.
News channels continuously discussed franchise combinations, overseas conditions, player matchups, and team strengths.
And naturally one matchup dominated most conversations:
Mumbai Indians
vs
Chennai Super Kings
The opening clash. Its Sachin vs Dhoni.
Star power packed teams everywhere.
And adding even more spice—Karuppu himself now stood in the middle of that rivalry.
A Tamil Nadu player.
Yet representing Mumbai Indians.
Naturally Tamil sports channels were already milking the drama happily.
So fans joked he had beco "traitor."
Others proudly claid and excited.
"If he hits six, Tamil Nadu is the one and only winner."
The discussions themselves beca chaotic.
Soon after the twenty-day preparation block ended, the Mumbai Indians squad finally boarded their dostic flight toward Cape Town for the opening match preparations.
As the aircraft descended toward the coastal city, even several senior players looked outside the windows appreciating the view.
Cape Town looked breathtaking mountains, coastline, ocean breeze, and modern city structures blending together beautifully.
And sowhere inside that city waited one of cricket's most iconic venues:
Newlands Cricket Ground
The opening battlefield of IPL 2009.
Inside the team bus moving through Cape Town streets, excitent slowly began replacing training-camp calmness.
This was no longer preparation.
Now the real tournant was beginning.
Even senior players subconsciously shifted into match mode:
more tactical discussions took place,
bowling combinations,
batting orders,
pitch conversations.
anwhile younger players naturally beca more silent watching the growing intensity around them.
"...."
"...."
"...."
From the bus window, Karuppu caught his first distant glimpse of Newlands itself.
The stadium sat beautifully beneath the shadow of Table Mountain like sothing out of postcard.
For a few quiet seconds, he simply stared at it through the glass.
Because in two days…
He might walk onto that ground wearing Mumbai Indians colors before a worldwide audience.
And sowhere deep inside his chest…
The competitive fire slowly started burning hotter again.
*******************************
(Author note:)
I hope you guys give your opinion and idea's.
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Don't forget to review guys...
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