The evening air in Hyderabad was warm. The sun dipped below the horizon, and the massive floodlights of the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium turned on, flooding the green outfield with bright white light.
The Indian Premier League was back.
This year, the tournament organizers had decided to host eight separate opening ceremonies, one at each home ground before the first match of the respective host team. Because Sunrisers Hyderabad had won the championship last year, they were given the honor of hosting the very first match of the season. They were playing against the team they had defeated in the final: the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The stadium was packed to its limit. Thirty-nine thousand fans filled the seats. Almost everyone was wearing an orange jersey.
Up in the main VIP corporate box, located right behind the bowler's arm, the guests were settling into their comfortable leather seats. The glass windows provided a perfect view of the entire ground.
Kalanithi Maran, the owner of the Sunrisers franchise, stood near the front, talking quietly with his daughter, Kavya Maran. Kavya wore a bright orange team jersey and smiled as she looked out at the massive home crowd. Standing next to them was the famous Telugu cinema superstar, Venkatesh. Known to his fans as Victory Venkatesh, he was a massive cricket fan and a regular presence at Hyderabad matches. A few other familiar faces from Tollywood sat nearby, enjoying the hospitality and waiting for the show to begin.
On the other side of the spacious box, Krithika took her seat. She wore a simple white and orange top. Sitting immediately to her right was her sister, Anjali, who was holding her phone and recording short clips of the stadium. Next to Anjali were Krithika's best friends, Riya and Kavya. Anjali had also brought a few of her closest friends from college, who took up the row behind them, talking loudly and pointing at the players warming up on the field.
"The crowd is so much louder than last year," Riya said, looking through the glass.
"They are defending champions now," Krithika smiled. "The city expects a lot from them today."
Down on the field, the clock struck 6:30 PM. The opening ceremony officially began.
A large group of local musicians walked out onto the grass. They carried large traditional drums. They formed a circle and began to beat the drums in perfect rhythm. The heavy, thumping sounds echoed off the concrete stands. Local dancers dressed in colorful clothes joined them, performing traditional steps that represented the culture of Hyderabad.
The drum beats faded, and a group of local singers took the stage set up near the boundary rope. They sang a few popular Telugu songs, getting the crowd to clap along. To finish their performance, they sang the official Sunrisers Hyderabad team song. The heavy bass of the "Orange Army" anthem blasted through the stadium speakers. The entire crowd stood up, waving orange flags and singing along, completely energized.
The stage was quickly cleared. Ravi Shastri walked out holding a microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2017 season!" Ravi Shastri announced, his deep voice carrying over the crowd. "Before the modern heroes take the field, it is time to honor the legends who built the foundation of Indian cricket."
A line of open-top golf carts drove slowly onto the outfield.
Sitting in the carts were four of the most famous men in Indian cricket history: Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, V.V.S. Laxman, and Sachin Tendulkar.
The crowd roared with respect. When V.V.S. Laxman, the local hero of Hyderabad, drove past the main stands, the cheers grew even louder. The golf carts stopped near the presentation area. Kalanithi Maran and a few other BCCI officials walked out and presented each of the four legends with a special memento, honoring their massive contributions to the sport.
"It is always good to see Sachin," Venkatesh smiled in the VIP box, clapping his hands.
The legends returned to their carts and drove off the field.
The music started again. The actress Amy Jackson walked onto the stage. She delivered a fast, highly energetic dance performance. She danced to a mix of popular songs, starting with Kala Chashma, moving into Kar Gayi Chull, and finishing with a mix of fast-paced Tollywood and Bollywood hits. The younger fans in the stands danced along with her.
As her performance ended, the stadium lights dimmed completely.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen," Ravi Shastri spoke into the dark stadium. "It is time for the Spirit of Cricket. Please welcome the captain of the defending champions. The man who brought the trophy to Hyderabad. Siddanth Deva!"
A single, bright spotlight hit the entrance tunnel.
Siddanth walked out. He wore his orange and black jersey with NEXUS printed at the front of the jersey. He carried the heavy gold IPL trophy in his right hand.
The noise that followed was deafening. Thirty-nine thousand people began chanting his name at the exact same time.
"DEVA! DEVA! DEVA!"
"DEVA! DEVA! DEVA!"
"DEVA! DEVA! DEVA!"
Siddanth walked slowly across the grass. He reached the center of the field. He placed the trophy carefully onto the waiting wooden pedestal. He then walked over to a large board set up nearby. He took a marker and signed his name on the MCC Spirit of Cricket board, pledging to play the game fairly.
The moment he finished signing, the sky above the stadium exploded. A massive display of pyrotechnics and fireworks shot into the night sky, lighting up the entire city in orange and gold. The lights inside the stadium came back on at full brightness.
The groundsmen rushed onto the field, quickly clearing the stage and the presentation boards to get the pitch ready for the official match.
Siddanth walked to the center of the pitch. He waited. A minute later, Shane Watson walked out to join him. Virat Kohli was missing the match, and Watson was acting as the captain for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Ravi Shastri stood between them. "Watson, you have the coin."
Watson threw the coin into the air. Siddanth called heads.
The coin landed on the pitch. It was tails.
"Shane Watson wins the toss," Shastri announced. "What are you going to do?"
"We are going to bowl first, Ravi," Watson said. "The pitch looks good, but it is the first game of the season. We want to see how it plays and then chase the total down later tonight."
"Siddanth," Shastri turned to him. "You are batting first."
"We wanted to bat first anyway," Siddanth smiled calmly. "The pitch is hard and flat. It will not change much. We want to put a big score on the board and let our bowlers defend it."
"Tell us your playing eleven for tonight," Shastri asked.
"David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan will open," Siddanth recited. "Kane Williamson, Sanju Samson, myself, Deepak Hooda, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Trent Boult, and finally Rashid Khan and Mohammed Siraj are making their debut."
"A very strong team," Shastri nodded. "Good luck to both captains."
The broadcast cut to a short break. The players returned to their dressing rooms to get ready.
In the VIP box, Riya clapped her hands together. "Siraj is playing today. He is a local boy. I hope he does well."
"He bowls fast," Krithika replied, remembering Siddanth talking about him. "He will be fine."
The First Innings
David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan walked out to the middle. The Bangalore team spread out across the field.
Tymal Mills, the left-arm fast bowler for Bangalore, took the new ball. He ran in and bowled the first delivery of the season.
Warner watched it carefully and pushed it to point for no run.
On the third ball of the over, Mills bowled slightly short. Warner stood tall and pulled the ball hard. It hit the middle of the bat and raced across the fast outfield to the boundary rope. The first four runs of the match.
Ashish Nehra bowled the second over. The veteran left-arm bowler tried to swing the ball into Dhawan. Dhawan simply stepped forward and drove the ball smoothly through the cover fielders for a beautiful boundary.
The Hyderabad openers looked very comfortable. They did not take foolish risks. They waited for the bad balls and hit them hard. Warner cut Sreenath Aravind for a boundary past point. Dhawan flicked Stuart Binny for a boundary to square leg.
By the end of the first six overs, Hyderabad had reached 59 for no loss.
"A brilliant start by the champions," Sunil Gavaskar noted on the television broadcast. "Warner and Dhawan are putting the Bangalore bowlers under a lot of pressure right from the beginning."
In the eighth over, Aniket Choudhary was brought into the bowling attack. He bowled a slow ball. Dhawan stepped out to hit it, misjudged the lack of pace, and hit it straight up into the air. Kedar Jadhav ran back from mid-off and took a safe catch.
Dhawan was out for 35 runs.
Kane Williamson walked in at number three. He met Warner in the middle of the pitch. They tapped their gloves.
Williamson played with pure elegance. He did not hit the ball hard. He simply used the pace of the bowlers to guide the ball into empty spaces. When Watson bowled short, Williamson cut him softly to the third man boundary.
Warner reached his fifty in the twelfth over. He raised his bat to the cheering crowd. Two balls later, he tried to hit Tymal Mills for a massive six over long-on, but he did not get under the ball. Mandeep Singh caught the ball near the boundary rope.
Warner was out for 52 runs.
Hyderabad was 110 for 2.
Sanju Samson walked out to bat at number four.
"Sanju Samson comes in at no. 4," Harsha Bhogle said over the commentary. "Siddanth Deva trusts him completely in this middle-over role."
Samson did not waste time getting settled. He immediately hit the leg-spinner for a six over mid-wicket. Williamson anchored the other end, scoring steady runs.
The two batsmen built a strong partnership. They moved the score past 150. They moved it past 170.
In the seventeenth over, Samson tried to hit a reverse sweep against the spin. He missed the ball completely, and it hit his leg. The umpire raised his finger for LBW.
Samson was out for 38 runs.
The scoreboard read 178 for 3.
Siddanth Deva walked down the pavilion steps.
The crowd forgot about the wicket instantly. They stood up and roared. In the VIP box, Anjali and her college friends cheered loudly. Krithika smiled, watching him walk to the crease.
Siddanth took his guard. He looked at the field. Watson had placed men on the boundary line everywhere to stop the big hits.
Sreenath Aravind was bowling the eighteenth over.
Siddanth faced the second ball. Aravind bowled a full delivery outside the off-stump. Siddanth drove it firmly to deep cover and ran a single.
Williamson took a single on the next ball.
Siddanth faced his third ball. Aravind bowled a slow ball on the leg stump. Siddanth waited for it, turned his wrists, and pulled the ball into the space at deep mid-wicket. He ran hard, pushing Williamson to run quickly. They completed two runs.
On his fourth ball, Aravind bowled a fast yorker. Siddanth stepped slightly to the side, opened the face of his bat, and squeezed the ball past the short third man fielder. The ball ran away to the boundary line for four runs.
"He is assessing the pace of the pitch," Ravi Shastri commented. "He has four runs from three balls. He is getting ready for the final overs."
The nineteenth over was bowled by Tymal Mills. Mills bowled fast. Williamson hit a single and gave the strike to Siddanth.
Mills bowled a bouncer aimed at his chest. Siddanth rolled his wrists and pulled the ball to deep square leg. He ran a quick single.
Williamson hit a single on the next ball.
Mills tried to bowl a yorker, but he missed his mark. It was a full toss. Siddanth stepped forward and hit the ball straight down the ground. It went high into the night sky and landed twenty rows deep into the stands for a massive six.
The crowd went wild.
"What a clean strike!" Harsha Bhogle said. "He just picked it up and threw it into the crowd."
Next ball, Siddanth hit the ball to deep extra cover and ran two fast runs.
The nineteenth over ended. The score was 205 for 3.
Shane Watson decided to bowl the final over of the innings himself. He was an experienced bowler. He knew how to bowl under pressure.
Williamson took a single on the first ball of the over.
Watson bowled a clever slow ball outside the off-stump. Siddanth waited for it, opened the face of his bat, and guided it past the point fielder for two runs.
The next three balls were bowled to Williamson, who managed to score a boundary and take a single on the fifth ball.
It was the final ball of the innings.
Siddanth was on strike.
Shane Watson ran in. He knew Siddanth wanted to hit a boundary. He decided to bowl a fast bouncer aimed directly at Siddanth's head.
Siddanth saw the ball leave Watson's hand. He did not duck. He did not step away. He stood perfectly still. As the ball reached him, he swiveled his body, brought his bat around, and hooked the ball violently.
The ball made a loud cracking sound against the wood. It flew high over the fine leg boundary. It cleared the stadium roof entirely and landed outside the ground.
A massive six.
"He finishes it with a monster hit!" Ravi Shastri shouted into the microphone. "Siddanth Deva faces nine balls and scores twenty-five runs! He takes the Sunrisers Hyderabad to a massive total!"
Siddanth took off his helmet and walked off the field with Williamson.
The final score for the Sunrisers Hyderabad was 218 for 3.
The Innings Break
Inside the dressing room, the players took off their batting pads and drank water. The mood was highly positive.
Siddanth walked over to Mohammed Siraj. The young fast bowler was sitting on a bench, looking at his bowling spikes. He looked nervous. It was his first match in the Indian Premier League, and he was playing in front of his home city.
"Siraj," Siddanth said quietly.
Siraj looked up quickly. "Yes, Captain."
"Are you ready?" Siddanth asked.
"Yes, bhai. I am ready," Siraj said, nodding his head.
"I am giving you the new ball," Siddanth told him.
Siraj's eyes widened slightly. Taking the new ball in the very first over of the match was a huge responsibility. "The first over?"
"Yes," Siddanth said. He placed a hand on Siraj's shoulder. "Do not look at the crowd. Do not look at Chris Gayle standing at the other end. Just look at the stumps. Run in fast and hit the pitch hard. Do exactly what you did to me in the practice nets last week."
Siraj took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "I will hit the pitch hard. Understood, bhai."
"Good," Siddanth smiled.
The Second Innings
The Sunrisers Hyderabad team walked out to the field. The crowd cheered loudly, hoping to see a good bowling performance.
Chris Gayle and Mandeep Singh walked out to open the batting for Bangalore. The target was 219 runs. They needed to score very fast.
Siddanth threw the new white ball to Mohammed Siraj.
"Mohammed Siraj, the local boy from Hyderabad, is taking the new ball on his debut," Harsha Bhogle announced. "What a moment for him. The crowd is right behind him."
Siraj walked to his run-up mark. He looked at Mandeep Singh standing at the crease. He took a deep breath.
He ran in. He bowled his first ball. It was fast, straight, and hit the pitch hard. Mandeep defended it.
Siraj ran in for the second ball. He bowled it full, outside the off-stump. Mandeep left it alone.
On the third ball, Siraj found his rhythm. He ran in fast and bowled a heavy ball that bounced slightly more than expected. Mandeep tried to hit it through the leg side, but the extra bounce caught the edge of his bat.
The ball went straight into the hands of Shikhar Dhawan standing at point.
"He gets a wicket in his first over!" Ravi Shastri yelled. "The local boy strikes! Siraj removes Mandeep Singh, and the Hyderabad crowd goes wild!"
Siraj threw his hands in the air and let out a loud shout of joy. Siddanth ran over and hugged the young bowler, patting him heavily on the back. The rest of the team gathered around, congratulating him on a perfect start.
Mandeep Singh walked back to the pavilion. Kedar Jadhav walked in to replace him.
In the second over, Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the ball. He was known for his swing bowling. He bowled a perfect inswinging delivery to Chris Gayle. The big West Indian tried to hit it hard, but the ball swung past his bat and hit his pads directly in front of the stumps.
The umpire raised his finger immediately. LBW.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar claimed the biggest wicket of the match. Bangalore was 11 for 2.
"Two wickets down very early," Sunil Gavaskar said. "Bangalore is in deep trouble. They need a big partnership right now."
Kedar Jadhav and Shane Watson tried to rebuild the innings. They batted carefully for a few overs, scoring singles and occasional boundaries. They moved the score to 45.
Siddanth decided it was time to bring his new weapon into the attack. He threw the ball to Rashid Khan.
The young leg-spinner from Afghanistan was playing his first match for Hyderabad. He walked to his mark and bowled to Kedar Jadhav.
Rashid bowled incredibly fast for a spinner. The ball hit the pitch and skidded straight on. Jadhav tried to play a cut shot but missed the ball completely. The ball hit his stumps.
"Rashid Khan strikes!" Harsha Bhogle announced. "He bowls fast leg-spin, and it is very difficult to read. Jadhav is gone."
Sachin Baby walked out to bat next. Rashid Khan bowled a googly on his very next over. The ball spun the wrong way. Sachin Baby tried to defend, missed the ball, and it hit his pads. The umpire gave him out LBW.
Rashid Khan had two wickets. Bangalore was struggling at 62 for 4.
Shane Watson was still at the crease. He was an experienced player, and he knew he had to score runs quickly. He hit a boundary off Chahal. He looked determined to fight back.
Siddanth Deva took the ball for the next over.
Siddanth stood at his run-up mark. He looked at Stuart Binny, who had just come out to bat.
Siddanth ran in fast. He did not bowl a swing delivery. He bowled pure, raw pace. The ball hit the pitch on a good length and flew past Binny's bat before he could even move his feet. The ball hit the off-stump with a loud crack.
"Siddanth Deva bowls him out!" Ravi Shastri shouted. "He brings himself on and immediately takes a wicket. Pure speed."
Stuart Binny was gone. Bangalore was 75 for 5.
Shane Watson was watching his team fall apart from the other end. He was batting on 35 runs. He was the only hope left for Bangalore.
Rashid Khan came back to bowl his third over. He bowled a short ball to Watson.
Watson saw the short ball. He stepped back and hit the ball with all his power. He hit a massive cut shot, aiming to send the ball flying into the stands over the cover boundary. The ball left his bat like a bullet.
Siddanth was standing at the extra cover fielding position.
He saw the ball flying through the air to his right. It was traveling incredibly fast. It was going over his head.
Siddanth did not wait for the ball to pass him. He took three fast steps to his right and launched himself completely into the air.
He flew parallel to the ground, fully stretched out. He reached his right hand up as high as he could.
The ball hit the very edge of his fingers. He closed his hand tightly around the hard leather ball while he was still in the air.
He hit the ground hard, rolling on his shoulder, but he held his right hand up high. The white ball was gripped firmly in his hand.
The entire stadium went silent for one second. Then, a massive roar shook the stands.
"HE CAUGHT IT!" Ravi Shastri screamed into his microphone, standing up from his chair in the commentary box. "I DO NOT BELIEVE IT! Siddanth Deva has just taken the catch of the tournament! He flew like a bird! That ball was traveling like a rocket, and he just plucked it out of the air with one hand! That is a miracle catch!"
In the VIP box, Venkatesh jumped out of his chair, clapping loudly. Kavya Maran had both hands over her mouth in shock.
Krithika smiled widely, shaking her head. Riya and Kavya cheered next to her. Anjali was jumping up and down. "Did you see that?! He just flew!" Anjali yelled.
Down on the field, Shane Watson stood at the crease, staring at Siddanth. He simply shook his head in defeat, put his bat under his arm, and walked back to the pavilion. There was nothing he could do against a catch like that.
Siddanth stood up, tossed the ball back to the umpire, and accepted the hugs and high-fives from his teammates. Rashid Khan had his second wicket, thanks to his captain.
With Watson gone, the rest of the Bangalore batting lineup crumbled quickly.
Mohammed Siraj came back to bowl his second spell. He bowled fast and straight. He hit the pads of Aniket Choudhary, and the umpire gave him out LBW. Siraj had his second wicket. The local boy had proven himself.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled a perfect slower ball that deceived Tymal Mills, who hit the ball straight up in the air for an easy catch. Bhuvi had his second wicket.
Siddanth bowled the next over. Sreenath Aravind tried to hit him over the leg side, missed the fast ball, and his stumps were shattered. Siddanth had his second wicket.
Finally, Trent Boult bowled the last over. He bowled a fast yorker that hit Ashish Nehra on the foot. The umpire raised his finger. Boult had his second wicket.
The match was over.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore were all out for 168 runs in 18.4 overs.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad had won the first match of the season by 50 runs. It was a complete team performance.
The players shook hands in the middle of the field. Siddanth congratulated his bowlers. Every single bowler used by Siddanth had taken two wickets. It was a perfect display of bowling depth.
Siddanth walked toward the boundary line. The crowd in the stands cheered his name. He waved his hand, thanking them for the massive home support.
He looked up at the VIP box. He saw Krithika standing near the glass, smiling down at him. He offered a small nod before walking into the dressing room.
The home season had started with a dominant victory.
Match Statistics - Siddanth Deva
Batting:
Runs Scored: 25 Not Out (9 balls)
Bowling:
Overs: 3.0
Wickets Taken: 2
Runs Conceded: 18