*Bengaluru, March 2014 — India U-19 Probables Camp*
The Bengaluru air was crisp, drier than Mumbai's salt-soaked winds. But to Ishaan, it carried a kind of heaviness that no weather report could measure. A different kind of pressure. One that settled into the bones, not the skin.
Twenty-five boys had been shortlisted across India. Only fifteen would make the final U-19 squad. Five openers were fighting for two spots. Ishaan Verma was one of them.
He stood at the gates of the National Cricket Academy, wearing a white tee and blue track pants. His duffel bag was slung over one shoulder. His bat, freshly oiled and grained, was wrapped carefully like a surgical instrument.
"Name?" asked the security guard.
"Ishaan Verma. Mumbai," he replied.
The guard checked the list, nodded, and let him in.
As Ishaan walked through the lush green pathways of the academy, he passed statues of legends carved in brass: Gavaskar, Kapil, Dravid. Each one felt like a whisper.
*Make it count.*
---
The dorms were modest, neat. Two players per room. Ishaan was assigned Room 106 with a boy from Punjab: Amanpreet Sandhu, known for his big-hitting style.
"Heard you play textbook cricket," Amanpreet said that night.
"I play to score," Ishaan replied, tying his shoelaces for morning drills.
"Let's see if that textbook holds up tomorrow."
---
The next ten days were ruthless.
Days began at 4:45 AM with military-style fitness: sprints, weighted circuits, and reaction tests. By 8:00 AM, they were in full nets against bowlers touching 135+ kmph.
Ishaan faced a brutal welcome.
On Day 1, he was peppered by a fast bowler from Jharkhand, a lean left-armer named Yash Tripathi. His third ball, a sharp bouncer, caught Ishaan on the shoulder.
He winced, took a moment, and then faced the next without adjusting his helmet.
The coaches noticed.
So did the other players.
---
By Day 4, Ishaan had begun to find rhythm.
He didn't dominate.
He survived. Then adapted. Then attacked.
Coach Muralidharan, a no-nonsense man with a Ranji pedigree, pulled him aside after a net session.
"You don't flinch. I like that. But this camp isn't about liking. It's about outlasting."
Ishaan nodded. "Understood, sir."
---
The next test was match simulation.
Each batter was given two chances to play an innings of 60 balls against a combination of pace and spin. Conditions were made tougher than usual: slow pitches, older balls, heavy outfields.
In his first outing, Ishaan scored 22 off 44. Scratched, struggled, but stayed not out. He wasn't pleased.
"Too passive," he noted in his diary that night.
The second outing came three days later.
This time, Ishaan opened with intent.
First over: a cut for four.
Third over: a skip down the track to loft the spinner over cover.
He ended with 71 off 60 balls.
Coach Muralidharan clapped once. "Good. Now do it when you're tired, bruised, and under lights."
---
Among the competitors, one name had emerged as a standout: Karthik Iyer from Tamil Nadu.
Aggressive, charismatic, and fluent with the media. He averaged 58 in domestic age-group cricket.
Rumors circulated that the selectors were leaning toward him as the first-choice opener.
Ishaan didn't mind.
He wasn't here to trend.
He was here to transcend.
---
The final trial match was scheduled under lights at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Open to BCCI officials.
A full 50-over match between Team A and Team B. Ishaan was named vice-captain of Team A. Karthik Iyer led Team B.
It felt symbolic.
---
Ishaan lost the toss. Team A batted first.
His opening partner was Amanpreet.
The lights came on early. The pitch had bounce. The crowd, though sparse, included U-19 selectors, former players, and journalists.
First ball: bouncer. He ducked.
Second ball: wide outside off. Left it.
Third: full and fast.
Ishaan drove it straight down the ground. Four.
He settled into rhythm. Ran sharp singles. Absorbed pressure.
Amanpreet fell early, but Ishaan kept the innings anchored.
In the 27th over, he reached his fifty.
Then accelerated.
Switch hits. Inside-outs. Late cuts.
He reached 94 in the 44th over.
A slower ball came in.
He stepped out, looking for the big one.
Mishit.
Caught at long-on.
He walked back to a standing ovation.
Karthik, waiting to bat next, offered a brief nod.
---
Team B chased down the total in 48 overs. Karthik scored 48 off 39. Flashy. Impactful.
But Ishaan had been the day's constant.
---
The next morning, the selection list was put up on the academy board.
Fifteen names.
The final India U-19 squad.
Line by line.
Name 7: **Ishaan Verma**. Opener.
Name 8: **Karthik Iyer**. Opener.
---
That evening, Coach Muralidharan called him into his cabin.
"You earned this. Now comes the harder part: proving you weren't a mistake."
Ishaan nodded. "I won't be."
The coach handed him a navy-blue kit bag.
On it, embroidered in gold thread: **India U-19**.
Ishaan took it, touched it to his forehead.
---
Later that night, in the dorm room, Ishaan opened his diary.
He wrote:
*The dream wore white. Then it wore blue. Now it wears navy. I don't play for colors. I play for the fire beneath them.*
*U-19. Next stop: the world.*