At seventeen, Arjun boarded his first international under-19 tour. The plane left Hyderabad in the soft pre-dawn light, carrying a mix of nerves, excitement, and ambition. For many players, it was the pinnacle—a chance to showcase skill on foreign soil. For Arjun, it was a laboratory.
He watched everything: the movement of luggage, the subtle tensions among his teammates, the way the foreign ground staff communicated. Everything was data, everything was information to be observed, cataloged, and later exploited.
The tour began in Sri Lanka. Hot, humid, pitches unpredictable. Opponents were aggressive, confident, and vocal. Many of his teammates faltered, overreacting to bounce, swing, and pressure. But Arjun? He observed, adapted, and waited.
In his first match, the opposition opened with an express pace bowler, aiming to intimidate the young Indian side. The crowd roared, a wave of noise that unsettled most of the Indian batsmen. Arjun stood calmly at the crease, bat in hand, analyzing:
The bowler's stride and wrist position
The seam tilt and release point
Subtle shifts in the field placements
The captain's signaling tendencies
Every ball was a puzzle; every response a move in a larger game.
He scored 83 runs in a manner so controlled it seemed unremarkable to the casual observer. Singles were timed, boundaries calculated, partnerships nurtured with precision. Every shot served a purpose: maintain momentum, unsettle the opposition, and dictate the psychological tempo of the match.
By the end of the game, his team had won convincingly. Coaches and selectors whispered about the young prodigy, but few realized he had not merely played cricket—he had orchestrated the match.
In the dressing room, Sid attempted to assert dominance again, flaunting flamboyant sixes and flashy footwork. Arjun simply smiled faintly, reading every move, every expression, every flicker of pride or frustration. The Devil was observing, cataloging, storing data for future encounters.