The quarterfinal ground felt neutral.
That made it worse.
No familiar corners. No remembered bounces. Just a flat square, tight boundaries, and a crowd that didn't belong to either side.
DPS South Bangalore warmed up with intensity—sharp throws, loud calls, confidence that came from reputation.
They were known for one thing.
Athletic depth.
When NITK lost the toss and was sent in, Rudra understood the message immediately.
Score under pressure. We'll chase comfortably.
The pitch was good.
The bowling wasn't.
DPS hit hard lengths early, backed by fielders who cut angles instinctively. Two wickets fell inside four overs.
Rudra walked in at No. 4 again.
Score: 34 / 2
Quarterfinal pressure wasn't loud.
It was heavy.
Every run felt inspected.
Focus
Lv 06 (68 / 100 EXP) → (71 / 100 EXP)
He played carefully—too carefully.
Singles dried up as DPS tightened. Dot balls crept in. The required intent began to whisper from the sidelines.
Rudra heard it.
Ignored it.
For now.
This wasn't the moment to respond.
This was the moment to endure.
DPS adjusted quickly.
A spinner from one end. A cutter specialist from the other.
No pace. No gifts.
Rudra found timing—but no reward.
Perfect shots died inside the circle. Gaps existed only for half a second before closing.
By the fifteenth ball, he was on 9.
Calm outside.
Calculation inside.
Static Vision
Lv 01 (14 / 100 EXP) → (19 / 100 EXP)
He began watching the seam again—not for movement, but for intent.
One ball wobbled late.
He nudged it behind point.
Two runs.
The next over, he delayed his shot intentionally—forcing a misfield.
Momentum didn't swing.
But it leaned.
His partner fell soon after.
Score: 57 / 3
Still fragile.
Rudra resisted the urge to force acceleration.
Quarterfinals punished impatience harder than mistakes.
Emotional Control
Lv 05 (100 / 100 EXP) — Stable under peak stress
The crowd grew restless.
DPS stayed silent.
That silence pressed harder than noise.
The break came unexpectedly.
Not from a bad ball.
From fatigue.
DPS's spinner dropped a fraction short—not enough to pull, not enough to drive.
Rudra waited.
Then cut late.
The ball pierced backward point and rolled to the rope.
The field shifted.
For the first time all innings, DPS moved.
That was enough.
Batting Timing
Lv 01 (96 / 100 EXP) → (100 / 100 EXP)
LEVEL UP — Batting Timing Lv 02
No announcement.
Just certainty.
The next over went for ten—not through power, but placement. A flick here. A glide there. One boundary forced purely by timing.
Rudra's body protested.
Legs heavy. Breath deeper.
But he stayed.
Stamina
Lv 03 (78 / 100 EXP) → (84 / 100 EXP)
NITK finished with a competitive total, not massive—but defendable.
Rudra walked off on 42 (36 balls).
Not a headline knock.
But the difference between collapse and contest.
As DPS began their chase, Rudra stood at long-off, hands on knees, sweat dripping, chest rising steadily.
Quarterfinals didn't reward flair.
They rewarded presence.
And as the pressure shifted to DPS, Rudra felt something settle permanently—not in his stats, but in his awareness.
This was his level now.
Not talent.
Not luck.
But the ability to stay when others rushed.
The system, silent as always, recorded it all.
And somewhere between pressure and patience,
Rudra grew again.