Chapter 50 : World Cup Squad

May 18, 2019 – The World Cup Squad Announcement

The living room was unusually quiet for a weekend at the Rai household. The only sound was the soft hum of the television, where the pre-show panel was discussing the upcoming 2019 ICC World Cup squad announcement.

Advay sat on the couch, one arm resting over the backrest, his other hand casually tapping against his knee. His father, Arjun Rai, sat in his usual chair, calm and composed, while his mother, Ilana Ivanov, sat beside him, watching the screen with her usual quiet grace. Aditi Rai, his sister, was sitting cross-legged on the floor, scrolling through her phone but very much part of the conversation.

"So, what do you think?" Aditi asked, looking up from her phone. "You think they'll pick you?"

Advay didn't respond immediately. He had thought about it. A lot.

His IPL season had been sensational, finishing as one of the top scorers and delivering a historic knock in the final. But international cricket was a different beast.

His father, ever the businessman, took a sip of his coffee before speaking. "You've done enough to be there. If they're smart, they'll take you."

Ilana glanced at Advay, her blue eyes soft. "And if they don't?"

"Then their loss," Aditi said before Advay could reply, smirking. "They can't keep ignoring him forever."

Advay exhaled lightly, masking whatever little nervousness he had. "If they pick me, they pick me. If not, I'll keep playing."

His mother gave him a knowing look. "You care more than you let on."

Advay smirked. "Maybe."

The TV screen flickered, and the panel host announced, "Alright, it's time. The official squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is here."

Everyone in the room straightened slightly, all eyes on the screen.

This was it.

As Advay sat in the living room, watching the squad announcement unfold, his expression remained unchanged—calm, composed, unreadable.

As the Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, took his seat at the press conference, the room buzzed with anticipation. The 2019 ICC World Cup squad announcement was finally here, and every cricket fan, analyst, and player in contention was watching.

Shastri greeted the reporters with his usual confidence, taking a sip of water before glancing at the squad list in front of him.

"Good afternoon, everyone. We've had some long discussions, tough calls, and a lot of debate in selecting this squad. At the end of the day, we've chosen what we believe is the best possible team to win the World Cup in England."

He adjusted his mic slightly and began reading out the names.

"Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma (Vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul…"

At that moment, in the Rai living room, Advay sat motionless on the couch, his expression unreadable. Aditi glanced at him before quickly looking back at the TV.

"MS Dhoni (Wicketkeeper), Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya…"

Ilana, sitting beside Arjun, reached for her son's hand, but he didn't react. His eyes remained fixed on the screen.

"Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja."

Shastri looked up and placed the paper down. "That completes the 15-man squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019."

Aditi, on the other hand, had no such restraint. "Wait… what?" she blurted out, sitting up straight. "They left you out? After everything? Are they insane?"

Ilana turned toward her son, searching his face for any sign of emotion. "Advay…" she began, her voice soft.

Arjun Rai, however, said nothing. He just watched his son carefully, knowing exactly how much this moment meant—even if Advay wasn't going to show it.

Advay simply leaned forward, picked up the remote, and turned off the TV.

"It's fine," he said evenly, his tone giving nothing away.

But Aditi wasn't having it. "No, it's not fine! You were literally one of the best players this season! You deserved to be there more than half of that squad!"

He finally looked at her, his green eyes steady, unwavering. "It is what it is."

No frustration. No visible disappointment. No anger.

Just acceptance.

But Aditi knew better. She had seen this version of him before—the one who buried everything deep inside.

Arjun finally spoke, his voice measured. "You're handling this well."

Advay glanced at his father, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Would it change anything if I didn't?"

Arjun nodded slightly, as if acknowledging his point.

Ilana, however, reached over and squeezed his hand gently. "You know you deserved it."

Advay met her gaze for a moment before standing up, stretching his arms. "I'm going for a run."

Aditi let out a frustrated sigh. "Of course you are."

He didn't respond, just grabbed his headphones and walked toward the door.

He didn't need to vent or scream or break something. That wasn't him.

But as he stepped out into the cool evening air and began running, his thoughts raced faster than his feet ever could.

The next morning, May 19, 2019, sunlight streamed through the windows of Advay's room, but he had already been awake for hours. His morning run had been longer than usual, his mind still unsettled from the events of the previous day.

As he sat on the balcony with his coffee, his phone buzzed beside him. He picked it up, glancing at the screen—Ananya.

He answered, his voice calm as always. "Hey."

"Hey," she said, but there was something different in her tone.

He raised an eyebrow. "What's with that voice?"

"What voice?"

"The one where you're about to tell me something I may not like."

She sighed, confirming his suspicion. "Okay, so… my parents want to meet you tonight. For dinner."

Advay blinked. "Your parents?"

"Yes, Advay. My parents. The people who gave birth to me. The ones who will probably interrogate you all night."

He leaned back, taking a sip of his coffee. "Sounds fun."

"I doubt you actually mean that."

A small smirk played on his lips. "You doubt me?"

"Very much."

He let the silence linger for a second before asking, "What time?"

"Seven. At my house."

Advay exhaled, running a hand through his hair. He wasn't nervous—he never was—but he knew how important this was to her.

"Alright," he said simply. "I'll be there."

Ananya let out a breath, as if she had been expecting more resistance. "Good. And, Advay?"

"Yeah?"

"Try to behave."

His smirk widened slightly. "No promises."

After ending the call with Ananya, Advay set his coffee down and walked straight to Aditi's room. He knocked twice—quick, firm, impatient.

A few seconds later, the door swung open, revealing Aditi in an oversized hoodie, hair tied up in a messy bun, eyes slightly narrowed.

"What?" she asked, voice laced with suspicion.

Advay leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "I need you to pick out a dress for me."

Aditi squinted at him for a second before smirking. "Wow. Second time this year you've asked me for fashion advice. I think the world might actually be ending."

Advay rolled his eyes. "Just pick something."

She crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe. "You realize this is huge, right? This is 'potential son-in-law' level scrutiny."

"Aditi."

"Like, her dad might casually 'clean a gun' while talking to you."

"Aditi."

"Or worse—ask about your five-year plan."

"ADITI."

She laughed, stepping aside and motioning for him to enter. "Alright, come in. Let's make sure you don't look like a complete disaster tonight."

Advay sighed, stepping inside. This was going to take a while.

After a few minutes of Aditi digging through his wardrobe, rejecting half his clothes, and dramatically sighing at his lack of effort in fashion, they finally settled on an outfit.

A light blue cashmere shirt, paired with well-fitted denim, and a black watch with green straps.

Aditi stepped back, arms crossed, nodding in approval. "Alright, this works. Clean, effortless, rich-boy-but-not-trying-too-hard vibes."

Advay raised an eyebrow. "Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"It's fashion advice. Take it and leave."

He smirked, picking up the watch and strapping it onto his wrist. "You really enjoy this, don't you?"

She grinned. "Dressing you? Yes. Watching you get grilled by Ananya's parents? Even more."

Advay shook his head, buttoning the shirt. "Remind me why I asked you for help again?"

Aditi smirked. "Because, dear brother, you know I'm always right."

By 5:30 PM, Advay stepped into his room after a quick shower, running a towel through his damp hair as he stood in front of the mirror. The evening sun filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow across the room.

He pulled on the light blue cashmere shirt, the fabric smooth against his skin. The fit was perfect—not too formal, not too casual. Next came the denim, comfortable yet sharp, and finally, the black watch with green straps, securing it around his wrist with practiced ease.

He ran his fingers through his wavy black hair, adjusting it just enough to look effortless while still styled. A few strands fell over his forehead, but he let them be.

Taking one last glance at himself in the mirror, he exhaled lightly.

He was ready.

As Advay stepped into the living room, adjusting the cuff of his shirt, he saw Aditi sitting on the couch, working on her laptop. She barely looked up at first, typing away, but when she did, she paused for a second before smirking.

"Damn. You actually look good."

Advay arched an eyebrow, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "I always looked handsome."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, his posture effortlessly confident.

Aditi rolled her eyes but grinned, shaking her head as she went back to her work. "Cocky as ever."

Advay walked out of the house and got into his red Porsche 911 Turbo S, the engine purring softly as he pulled out of the driveway. The evening air was crisp, and the streets were beginning to light up as the city transitioned into night.

Before heading to Ananya's house, he made a stop at a nearby store, picking up a box of fresh fruits—a simple yet thoughtful gesture for the dinner.

Twenty minutes later, he arrived outside Ananya's home, parking neatly before stepping out. The house was warmly lit, the atmosphere calm and inviting. Holding the fruit box in one hand, he walked up to the front door and rang the bell.

A few seconds later, the door swung open, and standing there was Rysa—Ananya's younger sister.

Advay had already met her once before, and he knew one thing about her—she was a massive RCB fan. And more importantly, she was a massive fan of him.

The moment Rysa saw Advay standing at the door, her eyes lit up with excitement. Without hesitation, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside, completely ignoring formalities.

"You're finally here! I was waiting to talk to you!" she said, practically bouncing on her feet.

Advay smirked, shutting the door behind him. "Didn't know I was on your schedule."

She waved him off, already launching into her rapid-fire questions. "Okay, first of all, do you have any idea how insane your knock in the IPL final was? I was screaming the whole time! And don't even get me started on that last ball—it was so close! How did you feel in that moment?"

Advay chuckled lightly. "Pretty sure the entire stadium felt it. Including me."

Rysa shook her head dramatically. "No, you don't get it. I have NEVER cried over a cricket match before, but when you fell to your knees after the match…" She placed a hand over her chest. "I actually teared up."

Advay raised an eyebrow. "That's some serious dedication."

"Of course! I'm your biggest fan! I even fought with my best friend because she supports Mumbai Indians."

Advay smirked. "You chose the right side, then."

Before Rysa could continue, a familiar voice interrupted.

"Rysa, can you stop fan-girling over my boyfriend and let him breathe?"

Advay turned to see Ananya standing near the hallway, arms crossed, an amused smile on her lips.

Rysa crossed her arms, looking completely unbothered. "Excuse me? I'm just making conversation. He's a celebrity, and I'm a dedicated fan."

Advay smirked, glancing at Ananya. "I think I like this kind of welcome."

Ananya rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, my parents are on their way back. They should be home in about half an hour."

Advay nodded, slipping his hands into his pockets. "Alright. Gives me time to mentally prepare for the interrogation."

Rysa grinned. "Oh, it's not an interrogation. It's just my dad figuring out if you're good enough for Ananya."

Ananya shot her a look. "Rysa."

"What?" she said, shrugging. "I'm just saying, if he survives tonight, he's officially part of the family."

Advay chuckled, completely unfazed. "Sounds like fun."

"I like his confidence," Rysa said, nodding approvingly.

With the formalities out of the way, the three of them continued chatting—mostly Rysa excitedly talking about cricket and her favorite RCB moments, while Ananya pretended to be annoyed but secretly enjoyed watching the conversation.

As the conversation flowed, Rysa hesitated for a moment, playing with the hem of her sleeve before finally speaking.

"Um… Advay?"

He looked at her, noticing the slight shift in her tone. "Yeah?"

She bit her lip before continuing. "Didi told me that you don't usually show much emotion… like, at all. But during the IPL final, you…" She paused, her voice quieter now. "You cried. A lot."

Advay knew where this was going, but he said nothing, letting her finish.

She shifted slightly, her usual enthusiasm dimmed. "How did you feel in that moment?"

For the first time that evening, the energy in the room changed.

Ananya watched her sister carefully, while Rysa looked a little tense, as if unsure whether she should have asked at all.

But Advay?

He simply smiled.

"Hey," he said gently. "Don't look so tense. You can ask me anything you want."

Rysa relaxed a little but still waited for his answer.

Advay leaned back slightly, exhaling. "I don't usually cry. Not because I don't feel things—but because I've trained myself not to show it. I was taught to stay calm, stay composed, no matter what happens."

His emerald green eyes flickered with something unreadable as he continued.

"But that night…" He paused for a second before shaking his head lightly. "I don't know how to explain it. It wasn't just about losing. It was about coming so close—so damn close—and still falling short. It felt like everything I worked for, everything I pushed myself through, had slipped right through my hands."

Ananya was watching him intently now, while Rysa remained silent, hanging on to every word.

"For the first time in my life, I didn't care about holding back. I didn't care who was watching. It just… happened."** His voice was even, steady—there was no bitterness in it, just honesty.**

Rysa blinked, then hesitated before asking, "And now?"

Advay smirked faintly. "Now? I'm here, eating your food, waiting to meet your parents, and talking to you about my feelings. Life moves on."

Rysa let out a small breath, a smile creeping onto her face. "You're cooler than I thought."

Ananya rolled her eyes. "Took you long enough to figure that out."

Rysa grinned. "Okay, fine, he's alright."

Advay chuckled. "High praise. I'll take it."