The vast kingdom of Spardhistan was ruled by the haughty king Munsif Maharaj and beautiful Sujaanpur was his capital city. Munsif Maharaj was a patron of sports and had a special liking for cricket. With the aim of nurturing the talented cricketers of his kingdom, he had set up the Kilolkar Academy for Cricket in the heart of Sujaanpur amidst sylvan surroundings. Entry to this elite academy was granted through extensive selections and the privileged group of the very best in the kingdom made to it every season.
This particular spring season, the academy heartily welcomed an extraordinarily gifted group of twenty-two young cricketers. Praveen Singh and Sumedha Kiran were two proud members of this group. The group spent the season learning the intricacies, tips and tricks of the game and making friends of a lifetime. Sumedha and friends thoroughly enjoyed the evenings roaming in the surrounding forests, listening to birds, climbing trees, plucking fruits, reciting melodies, watching animals, swimming in the stream. Oh, what a bliss! Praveen's friends were avid connoisseurs of the enticing Mahua nectar and spent evenings below the trees gaping open mouth at flowers dripping with nectar. Draining the bitter sweet liquid down the oesophagus, they attained instant Nirvana! In short, the academy was the 'Paradise on Earth' for these twenty-two young souls.
With the aim of honing skill and persistence, Munsif Maharaj had meticulously defined the format of the Kilolkar cricket known as 'The Eight Innings Cricket'. As luck and skill were inherent to both, Kilolkarites fondly called it Tice to rhyme with Dice. Every batsman had to play a total of eight innings in a game and each inning lasted as long as him/her. As soon as the first inning got over for the first team of eleven, the second team of eleven played their first inning. This was followed by the second inning from the first team and the pattern repeated for eight innings.
During the last month of the year, Munsif Maharaj put to test the skills of his proteges. Individual performances in batting, balling and fielding were tested and a final score calculated for every player based on a rule of weightages. The player with the highest score was presented the coveted 'Golden Glove' signed by the Maharaja himself. Batting test with the highest weightage was the most interesting event. Batsmen faced a computer controlled balling agent to ensure that all of them faced similar balls. They were free to choose their favourite umpires for the last four innings.
During the last month of the year, Munsif Maharaj put to test the skills of his proteges. Individual performances in batting, balling and fielding were tested and a final score calculated for every player based on a rule of weightages. The player with the highest score was presented the coveted 'Golden Glove' signed by the Maharaja himself. Batting test with the highest weightage was the most interesting event. Batsmen faced a computer controlled balling agent to ensure that all of them faced similar balls. They were free to choose their favourite umpires for the last four innings.
Final month of judgement started for this extraordinary group amidst much fanfare. Before they realized it, the first four innings were over and the scoring pattern started to emerge. Used to his privileged upbringing, Praveen was devastated to learn that not he, but Sumedha was the highest scorer. The poor fellow did not know that she had a passion for the game as a kid. How difficult was it for her mother feed her while she wanted to drive shots with her bat of the spoon on the playgrounds of the plate!
His agony was not hidden from his friends. They saw reflections of their own disappointments in his gloom and started devising strategies to nurse their hurt souls. They jotted down the statistics of the innings so far, pondered over for a long time and concluded that his batting average was a little higher than Sumedha's. It was a cheering discovery and they fed his hungry soul with its big morsels. They declared that Praveen deserved the 'Golden Bat' and proposed the setting up of the award to Munsif Maharaj. The Maharaja rejected the proposal with the argument that all awards were instituted at the commencement of the season. Sumedha was happily unaware of the brewing storm which threatened to blow her away and her friends decided not to burden her with unnecessary distractions.
His agony was not hidden from his friends. They saw reflections of their own disappointments in his gloom and started devising strategies to nurse their hurt souls. They jotted down the statistics of the innings so far, pondered over for a long time and concluded that his batting average was a little higher than Sumedha's. It was a cheering discovery and they fed his hungry soul with its big morsels. They declared that Praveen deserved the 'Golden Bat' and proposed the setting up of the award to Munsif Maharaj. The Maharaja rejected the proposal with the argument that all awards were instituted at the commencement of the season. Sumedha was happily unaware of the brewing storm which threatened to blow her away and her friends decided not to burden her with unnecessary distractions.
Praveen demanded the services of the benevolent umpire Soumya Sarkar for his last four innings which was granted as Sumedha, the highest scorer, did not press a similar demand. Happy with his easy luck, he focused on batting and completely ignored balling and fielding. Weighed down by the false perceptions and undue tensions, his score deteriorated. By the end of sixth inning, Praveen's friends started plotting aloud against Sumedha. They alleged umpires were partial to her. She found it upsetting, but was not disheartened.
Umpire Vidvesh Purohit was well known for his mean demeanour. He had missed the 'Golden Glove' during his earlier days at the academy and could not bear the sight of the younger folks walking away with it. He was too keen on declaring the players out and was avoided by all. Irritated by the unkind murmurs, Sumedha requested Vidvesh Purohit to be her umpire for the last two innings. Everyone, including him was astonished at this unusual request. As she continued playing for her passion without thinking about the Glove, he left no stone unturned to keep her hands off from it.
On the final day, spoilt Praveen was gifted the 'Golden Bat' by his wonderful friends with ample hints of expectations of a favor in return at suitable times. As Sumedha walked away with the 'Golden Glove', umpire Soumya Sarkar stopped her to ask why she had not opted for his services which could have even bettered her score. With a twinkle in her eyes, she said smiling, "Sir, You won't understand!"
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