Anshul you beauty !!!

 It’s hot. Not the polite “summer is here” kind of hot—this is the “why did I step outside” kind of hot. And just when you thought the weather was the only thing bringing the heat, two teams decided to turn the cricket field into a live demonstration of combustion. Spare a thought for the bowling side… hydration breaks were less about strategy and more about survival.

The captains walked out for the toss, had a brief “discussion” (read: polite argument), and then proceeded to prove that the toss was largely ceremonial. The Raptors wanted to bat. The Pacers wanted to bowl. Everyone got exactly what they wanted—rare moment of harmony before chaos.

Coming off a tough loss the previous day, the Raptors had that classic “we’ll show you” energy. The blueprint was familiar: start steady, keep wickets in hand, nudge it around at 5–6 an over, and then hit the accelerator like you’ve just remembered you left the stove on at home.

Enter Anshul. Calm, composed, quietly going about his business. A tidy 24 off 21—textbook stuff. The kind of innings that usually earns a few “well played bro” messages later. Sensible. Responsible. Respectable.

Unfortunately for the opposition, that was just the trailer.

Then came HK. Now HK doesn’t really do “instructions.” The general team strategy for him is simple: just stay out there for 15–20 balls and let physics handle the rest. And he delivered. The bowling, to be fair, helped—there were enough loose deliveries to start a highlight reel—but you still need someone to cash in. HK didn’t just cash in, he emptied the account. A rapid-fire 50 appeared before anyone could update the scoreboard or their WhatsApp status.

At around 80, the game was delicately poised. Post-HK phases can go either way—calm consolidation or mild panic. What followed was neither.

This is where Anshul returned. Not as the supporting act. Not as the steady partner. But as the main event.

If the first half of his innings was a gentle jog, the second half was a full sprint—with a jetpack. Suddenly the timing was sweeter, the boundaries bigger, and the fielders… well, mostly spectators. All that fitness training clearly wasn’t for Instagram. Scoring 43 off the last 17 balls in that heat isn’t just skill—it’s borderline defiance of nature.

From “good start” to “are you serious right now?” in a matter of overs.

So here’s the takeaway: sometimes you start steady, play your role, and no one notices. And then, when it matters, you flip the script and become the story.

Anshul, take a bow. And for everyone else—remember the name.