Selection days were cruel.
Not because dreams ended—
but because reality arrived without emotion.
No explanations.
No second chances.
Just names on a board.
And for the first time since Aarav Malhotra had stepped into organized cricket, he felt something unfamiliar before walking into the MCA hall that morning.
Not fear.
Expectation.
---
## 🏟️ MUMBAI U-16 PROBABLES CAMP – FINAL DAY
**Venue:** MCA Conference Hall, BKC
**Purpose:** Final Squad Selection – Mumbai U-16
Rows of chairs.
Players seated in silence.
Some whispered prayers.
Some stared at the floor.
Aarav sat upright.
Hands resting on his knees.
Breathing even.
Inside, the system remained quiet.
It already knew the outcome.
---
## 🧾 THE WAIT
Coach Anil Deshpande stood near the whiteboard, list covered with a sheet.
Beside him:
- Coach Sanjay Kulkarni (Bowling)
- Coach Ramesh Pawar (Batting)
- MCA Junior Selector **Vivek Patil**
No smiles.
No small talk.
This wasn't a ceremony.
It was a filtration.
---
## 🧠 SYSTEM STATUS
---
### 🧠 SELECTION PROBABILITY
**Batting:** High
**Bowling:** High
**Fielding:** High
**Leadership:** Emerging
**Overall Confidence:** 94%
---
Aarav exhaled slowly.
---
## 📋 THE ANNOUNCEMENT
The sheet was pulled down.
Names appeared.
Not read aloud.
Just written.
That was worse.
---
### Mumbai U-16 Squad (Excerpt):
- Prithvi Gawde
- Yash Borkar
- Rohan Sawant
- Ishan Kulkarni
- Shubham Rane (WK)
- **Aarav Malhotra**
There it was.
Middle of the list.
Clean.
Undeniable.
---
No applause followed.
Some boys smiled.
Some froze.
Some looked crushed.
Aarav didn't react.
He had expected this.
---
## 👀 THE SECOND LOOK
Coach Kulkarni spoke.
"All selected players stay back."
The room shifted.
The non-selected quietly filed out.
Doors closed.
Silence deepened.
---
## 🏏 ROLE CLARITY
Deshpande addressed them.
"This team is not built on specialists," he said.
"It's built on adaptability."
His eyes paused briefly on Aarav.
"Some of you will bat when you're tired.
Some will bowl when you don't feel fast."
Then—
"Some will do both."
---
## 🧠 SYSTEM RESPONSE
---
### 🧠 STEYN TEMPLATE – ACTIVATION WINDOW
➡️ Official tournament confirmed
➡️ Competitive pressure guaranteed
---
Aarav's fingers tightened slightly.
---
## 🧾 CAPTAINCY DISCUSSION (PRIVATE)
After the session, Aarav was asked to stay back.
Just him.
The coaches remained.
---
### Coach Deshpande spoke first.
"You've captained before."
"Yes, sir."
"You don't talk much."
"No, sir."
Coach Kulkarni smiled faintly.
"But players listen."
A pause.
"We're not naming a captain today," Deshpande said.
"But you'll be part of the leadership group."
Not a promise.
But a signal.
---
## 🏠 HOME – THAT EVENING
The news reached home quietly.
No celebration.
No sweets.
Just a nod from his father.
"U-16 is where bodies matter," Rohit said.
"You'll need to get stronger."
Aarav nodded.
"I know."
---
## 🧠 SYSTEM MESSAGE – NIGHT
As Aarav lay on his bed, muscles aching lightly, the interface emerged again.
Clearer.
Sharper.
---
### 🧠 SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT
**Mumbai U-16 Selection:** ✔ Confirmed
**Template Status:**
- KL Rahul – Stable Base ✔
- AB de Villiers – Complete ✔
- Dale Steyn – **86% Unlocked**
**Next Objective:**
➡️ Mumbai U-16 State Tournament
➡️ Deliver match-winning bowling spell
➡️ Full Steyn Template unlock
**Warning:**
➡️ Physical intensity spike expected
➡️ Injury risk increases if control drops
---
Aarav closed his eyes.
U-14 had been about skill.
U-16 would be about **survival**.
And somewhere beyond that—
Power.
---
Outside, Mumbai moved as it always did.
Fast.
Relentless.
Unforgiving.
Perfect.
--chapter 18 end--