By the fourth match, bowlers stopped "trying things."
They came with plans.
And for the first time in the IPL, Aarav Malhotra was the plan.
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## 🏟️ IPL MATCH 4 – RCB vs KINGS XI PUNJAB
**Venue:** Mohali
**Pitch:** True bounce, long boundaries
**Opposition Intent:** Pace + short balls
The warm-ups told the story.
Extra catching.
Extra boundary riders.
Extra attention.
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## 🧠 SYSTEM LIVE BOOT – TARGET LOCK DETECTED
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**Bowling Pattern Forecast:**
➡ Short of length into body
➡ Deep square + deep midwicket
➡ Wide yorkers if he advances
**Risk Profile:**
➡ Pull shot exposure
➡ Upper-cut temptation
**Primary Objective:**
➡ Force bowlers full
➡ Score behind square
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## 🏏 EARLY OVERS – BODY LINE
**Entry:** 2.4 overs
**Score:** 15/1
First ball.
Chest-high.
Fast.
Aarav rode it.
No shot.
Second ball—same line.
He ducked late.
The bowler frowned.
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## 🔄 MICRO-ADJUSTMENT
Back foot opened.
Bat face angled.
Third ball—short again.
Aarav ramped it softly past slip.
**FOUR.**
The field shifted.
That was the opening.
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## 😄 MID-PITCH MOMENT
Kallis chuckled.
"They'll stop now."
Aarav replied,
"Good. I was getting bored."
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## 🔥 ACCELERATION WITHOUT FORCE
The bowlers went fuller.
That's when he drove.
- Straight drive – **FOUR**
- Punch through cover – **FOUR**
- Late dab – **TWO**
No slog.
No swipe.
Just timing.
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## 📊 INNINGS SUMMARY – MATCH 4
**Aarav Malhotra:**
- Runs: **68**
- Balls: **41**
- Fours: 8
- Sixes: 1
RCB posted **186/5**
Won by **22 runs**.
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## 🧠 SYSTEM UPDATE
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✔ Short-ball Counter: ENABLED
✔ Boundary Manipulation: ADVANCED
**New Threat Identified:**
➡ Wide yorkers outside off
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## 🏟️ IPL MATCH 5 – RCB vs RAJASTHAN ROYALS
**Venue:** Jaipur
**Opposition Weapons:**
➡ Shane Warne
➡ Shane Watson
Spin and guile.
Different danger.
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## 🧠 PRE-MATCH TEMPLATE SHIFT
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**Spin Priority:** VERY HIGH
**Sweep Shot:** DISABLED
**Instruction (Kumble):**
"Make Warne bowl to you, not at you."
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## 🏏 WARNE vs AARAV – CHESS, NOT CRICKET
First over—flighted.
Aarav didn't move.
Blocked.
Second ball—wider.
Late cut.
**FOUR.**
Warne smiled.
This was going to take effort.
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## 🔥 MOMENT OF CONTROL
Overpitched leg-break.
Aarav stepped across.
Not hard.
Lofted over long-off.
**SIX.**
Warne adjusted his field.
Respect acknowledged.
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## 📊 INNINGS SUMMARY – MATCH 5
**Aarav Malhotra:**
- Runs: **47**
- Balls: **34**
RCB chased comfortably.
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## 📈 IPL MID-PHASE STATS
Matches: 5
Runs: 272
Average: 54.40
Strike Rate: 146+
No single weakness exposed.
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## 📺 COMMENTARY SHIFT
"He's not just scoring,"
"He's erasing plans."
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## 🧠 END-OF-CHAPTER STATUS
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✔ TARGET STATUS: CONFIRMED
✔ ADAPTATION SPEED: ELITE
**NEXT CHAPTER:**
➡ Consecutive matches
➡ Fatigue + mental load
➡ First real failure test
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The IPL wasn't about what shots you had.
It was about what shots you **didn't need anymore**.
And Aarav Malhotra was learning that faster than anyone.
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