The following Ranji season, Arjun's influence over domestic cricket became undeniable.
He was now more than a prodigy; he was a tactician, guiding not just his own batting but subtle field placements, bowling rotations, and team strategies. Opponents noticed his uncanny anticipation: balls placed where he expected, gaps closed before they could be exploited, bowlers outsmarted before they realized it.
Andhra Pradesh rose through the tournament under his quiet leadership. He allowed Sid to score flashy boundaries occasionally, giving the young rival enough ego to continue thinking he was in control. Meanwhile, Arjun's subtle rotations and strategic placements slowly eroded opposition confidence.
Off the field, he continued observing systems outside cricket. In team hotels, he noted supply chains for food, communication methods, and transport logistics. He began conceptualizing franchises in multiple sports—cricket, football, basketball—and potential influence networks, already considering how they could interlink across cities and countries.
He realized that cricket, business, and influence were all governed by the same laws: timing, observation, control, and patience. Each victory on the field reinforced his belief in the principles that would guide his empire one day.
By season's end, he had not only scored heavily but positioned himself as the invisible architect of Andhra Pradesh's domestic dominance.