The morning sun filtered through the coconut palms lining the outer boundary of Century Cricket Academy in Kaloor, Kochi. The sounds of traffic were a distant murmur beyond the walls, but for Prince, the world had narrowed to the rhythmic thump of his footsteps and the soft creak of the kit bag strap across his shoulder. He wore his crisp white training uniform — clean, freshly ironed — and carried a bag stuffed with pads, gloves, and his Gray-Nicolls bat.
This was it. His first real day at the academy.
Eight years old and newly settled in Kochi, Prince walked beside Coach Gautam Shivas across the pitch. The grass was still wet with dew, and the early morning air carried a faint scent of linseed oil and red earth — the unmistakable perfume of cricket.
"Looking sharp," Coach Gautam said, glancing at him with a quick nod. Prince simply smiled in return. He wasn't nervous. He was focused.
They entered the changing room — a long, tiled space with steel lockers, wooden benches, and the muffled chatter of kids already getting ready. Gautam showed him to locker #25.
"Your kit fits in here. Get ready quickly, drills start in fifteen."
Prince nodded. The other boys trickled in over the next few minutes. Aru — tall, bespectacled, and quiet — gave Prince a quick "Hey." Rohan, or "Ro," offered a calm smile. Faizal, with a wide grin and energy to spare, threw an arm around Prince's shoulder as if they'd known each other for years.
"You're the new kid? I heard about you. Fast hands, right?"
Prince just shrugged, amused.
Vinu George, a compact boy with sharp eyes, looked over. "Hope you bowl better than Faizal, that's all I'll say."
"Oi!" Faizal protested.
The rest of the team filtered in — Samir, Danish, Arun's cousin Ricky. A mix of boys from different parts of Kerala, all about Prince's age, all brimming with talent.
The mood was light but buzzing with expectation.
Fielding Drills
The day began with fielding circuits.
Coach Gautam positioned himself at mid-wicket with a bucket of tennis balls. The boys spread out in a wide arc. He began feeding sharp grounders — rapid, low skidders that demanded precision and quick reactions.
First to receive: Aru. Smooth pick-up, clean return.
Then Ro. One-handed take, direct hit.
Faizal made a show of diving, coming up with grass in his teeth, but returned the ball well.
Vinu — steady hands, clean technique.
Then it was Prince's turn.
The ball zipped off the turf. Prince dropped into position, scooped it clean with one hand, and sent it back in a single motion. The throw slapped into the coach's gloves.
Gautam gave him a nod. "Nice."
They shifted to reaction throws, designed to simulate pressure situations — short sprints, sudden pickups, direct hits. Prince kept pace with the older boys, his footwork crisp, his throws tight.
After twenty intense minutes, the boys were panting.
"Hydrate, then to bowling," Coach Gautam called.
Bowling Circle
They moved to the bowling lanes — wide netted corridors, each with a single stump stack target.
Aru bowled first. Smooth action, clipped the stump twice out of four deliveries. Rohan followed — his control was remarkable. A quiet bowler, but deadly accurate. Faizal bowled with pace and aggression, flattening one of the cones and celebrating like he'd taken Kohli's wicket.
Vinny spun his deliveries with a wrist flick that drew admiration from the coach. "Five out of eight, very good."
Then it was Prince's turn.
He took the ball and focused. His internal system quietly analyzed wrist angle, grip pressure, and stride length. He delivered his first ball — good length, angling into the top of off. It clipped the cone. The next ball was just short, but still on target.
Out of eight deliveries, Prince hit four cones. Not flashy, but accurate and consistent.
Coach Gautam clapped twice. "Great wrist position. You bowl seam, yeah?"
Prince nodded. "Right-arm seam."
"Good. We'll build from there."
Batting Nets
They transitioned to batting nets next. The team was split across four lanes.
Aru and Ro batted together — both technically sound, with Aru playing elegant drives and Ro defending with textbook precision. Faizal was more aggressive, pulling short balls with flair, occasionally mistiming but always entertaining.
Prince was assigned a lane with Vinu and Danish. Coach Gautam tossed balls from a short distance to get them warmed up.
Prince adjusted his stance, checking his grip.
First ball — length on off. He blocked with a soft touch.
Second — short. He got on top of it, punching through cover.
Third — a fuller delivery. Prince leaned in and timed it well, nudging toward mid-wicket.
He could feel the system quietly analyzing each movement, optimizing muscle control, giving him just a hint of guidance in timing.
After a few more rotations, they switched to live bowling in the nets.
Prince watched as his teammates bowled to one another.
Aru played an inside-out loft that barely cleared the top net.
Ro held steady, soaking up good balls and pouncing on the short ones.
Faizal was hit-or-miss — a big six followed by a loud edge to the netting.
Vinu's spin troubled Danish, who swung and missed more than once.
When it was Prince's turn to face Samir, a fast bowler with a powerful action, he read the ball early, stepping out to meet it. He flicked a delivery off his pads, then met the next one with a full-face drive straight down the lane.
The coach raised an eyebrow.
"Good footwork."
Samir grinned. "You've played before."
"Yeah," Prince said simply, not offering more.
Back in the Changing Room
After the drills, the team returned to the changing room. Everyone was dripping in sweat, but still high on adrenaline. Lunchboxes came out. Someone passed around bananas. Someone else had roasted peanuts and jackfruit chips.
Aru sat next to Prince. "You've got good balance. You play matches before this?"
Prince nodded, then paused. "A few, yeah. Nothing serious yet."
Ro chimed in. "You're the real deal though. Quick hands, tight lines."
Faizal leaned over. "You bowl like Bumrah, bat like Gill. Don't go getting cocky now."
Prince just smiled. "I'm here to learn."
Coach Gautam entered a few minutes later and addressed the group.
"Today was about observing. From tomorrow, we push harder. Drills will get longer. You'll rotate with older age groups. Match prep begins next week."
He looked at Prince. "Good first day. You've got the basics and some natural calm. Stay consistent."
Evening: Debrief at Home
Prince returned home exhausted but glowing.
Maria met him at the door with a glass of lime juice. Bibin was home early, curious.
"Well?" his father asked.
Prince set down his kit bag and grinned. "They were good. The drills were intense, but I kept up."
He sat with them at dinner — parotta, chicken stew, and a side of jackfruit halwa. The same meal he'd once taken for granted in his last life. Now, every bite tasted like something sacred.
"They'll move me into U-11 matches soon," he said between bites. "Coach said I was solid."
Maria beamed. Bibin gave him a short nod. "We made the right call moving here."
After dinner, Prince lay in bed, looking at the faint glow of the system interface floating in his mind's eye.
Experience Gained:Batting: +3Bowling: +4Fielding: +2Game IQ: +1
Stat Points Available: 3Level Progress: 78/100 (Level 5 unlock approaching)
He smiled, then closed his eyes.
Tomorrow, the journey would get harder. But he was ready.