Chapter 57 : Century on Debut

As the 11th over began, Rohit Sharma was on strike, looking in sublime touch. The first ball from Keemo Paul was a back-of-a-length delivery, angling in toward middle and off. Rohit, ever so confident, rocked back to pull—but the extra bounce did him in. The ball took the top edge and ballooned straight to deep midwicket, where Evin Lewis settled under it and took a safe catch.

The Florida crowd fell silent for a brief moment, before standing up to applaud Rohit's blistering 67 off 33 balls. As he walked back, he patted Advay's shoulder, smirking. "Go on, finish the job."

And just like that, Virat Kohli stepped in. The noise in the stadium doubled as the Indian captain took his guard.

Harsha Bhogle: "So, it's the end of an extraordinary knock from Rohit Sharma, but the entertainment isn't over! Here comes Virat Kohli, and at the other end, the man of the moment—Advay Rai, still going strong on his debut."

Ravi Shastri: "A hundred might be on the cards here, Harsha. Advay Rai—this is his night to make history!"

With Virat at one end and Advay at the other, India continued its dominance.

In the 13th over, Brathwaite came back into the attack, but Advay was in unstoppable form. The first delivery—a slower one on off-stump—was picked early. He waited for it, opened the bat face, and guided it between short third and backward point for four. The next ball, a fuller one, disappeared over deep midwicket.

Virat, watching from the other end, smirked. "That was clean."

Advay grinned. "You should try it."

Virat chuckled. "I'll stick to my cover drives."

India crossed 200 in the 16th over, with Advay sitting on 94. The Florida crowd could sense something special.

In the 18th over, Oshane Thomas steamed in. The first ball—a sharp, rising delivery—was uppercut over third man for four.

98.*

The next ball—a length ball outside off. Advay took a step forward and lofted it high over extra cover. The ball cleared the ropes.

A hundred on debut.

As the ball disappeared into the stands, Advay dropped his bat and bowed to the crowd, soaking in the thunderous applause. The entire stadium erupted into chants of "Advay! Advay!", his name echoing through the Florida night.

In the dugout, the Indian players were on their feet, clapping and cheering. Rohit and KL Rahul whistled, Hardik Pandya clapped furiously, and even Virat gave an approving nod from the non-striker's end.

Harsha Bhogle: "Take a bow, young man! A hundred on debut! This is a night Advay Rai will never forget!"

Ravi Shastri: "This is next-level stuff, Harsha. You don't just do this on your first day in international cricket. This is greatness in the making!"

By the time the 20 overs came to a close, India had posted a record-breaking 276/3, their highest T20I total.

Advay finished unbeaten on *126 off 52 balls (12x6, 8x4)**—a debut knock for the ages.

As the West Indies openers—Evin Lewis and Nicholas Pooran—walked in to chase 277, the pressure was immense. The Indian fielders took their positions, the Florida crowd still buzzing from Advay Rai's record-breaking hundred. Virat Kohli, standing in the huddle, clapped his hands.

"Let's keep the intensity up, boys. 276 is a huge total, but no room for complacency!"

Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the new ball, running in smoothly for the first over. His very first delivery was a beautiful outswinger, angling away from Lewis, who poked at it uncertainly. The ball whizzed past the edge.

Harsha Bhogle: "Oh, that's classic Bhuvi! Seam, swing, and just enough movement to make the batsman uncomfortable."

Bhuvi kept it tight, conceding just four runs in the first over.

From the other end, Navdeep Saini charged in, bowling with express pace. The third ball of his over was a sharp short-pitched delivery—Pooran attempted to pull but got rushed for pace, the ball hitting his glove and lobbing toward short midwicket, where Virat Kohli dived forward and took a clean catch.

First wicket down! West Indies 12/1 in 2 overs.

The West Indies counterattack came from Shimron Hetmyer, who stepped in and started playing shots fearlessly. In the 4th over, he stepped out and lofted Saini over long-off for a six. Next ball—a full delivery on the stumps—was flicked nonchalantly to the square leg boundary.

West Indies 43/1 in 5 overs.

Virat signaled for a bowling change, bringing in Advay Rai for his first spell in international cricket. As he marked his run-up, the crowd got loud again, recognizing the moment.

Ravi Shastri: "What a debut this has been for Advay Rai already! A century with the bat, and now he gets his first opportunity with the ball."

Advay's first delivery was a perfect back-of-a-length ball outside off, which Hetmyer tried to cut—but mistimed.

The second ball—fuller, swinging in—Hetmyer drove it straight back, but Advay stuck out his right hand and grabbed the ball in one motion!

GONE! Hetmyer out for 22 off 12!

The Indian players swarmed Advay, while Hetmyer stood there, stunned.

West Indies 46/2 in 6 overs.

Brandon King and Kieron Pollard tried to rebuild. Pollard, in typical fashion, smashed a straight six off Ravindra Jadeja in the 8th over, flexing his power. But just when it looked like he was getting set, Bhuvneshwar deceived him with a knuckleball, getting him caught at deep midwicket.

West Indies 78/3 in 9 overs.

Advay returned for his second over in the 11th, this time bowling to Brandon King. After two dot balls, he sent in a quicker, flatter delivery outside off. King, trying to break free, slogged across the line but mistimed it horribly. The ball took the top edge and ballooned straight to long-on, where Hardik Pandya completed the catch.

West Indies 90/4 in 11 overs.

Andre Russell, known for his brutal power-hitting, started swinging hard. In the 13th over, he pulled a Bumrah bouncer over deep square leg for a massive six. The crowd roared, knowing he was the last hope for West Indies.

Virat tossed the ball back to Advay for the 15th over, looking for a breakthrough.

First ball—Advay went wide of off-stump, keeping it slow. Russell swung wildly… but only managed to slice it straight up! The ball hung in the air for an eternity before KL Rahul ran in from deep cover and held on.

Russell out for 18! West Indies 122/5 in 15 overs.

From there, the wickets tumbled quickly. Bumrah cleaned up Rutherford with an inch-perfect yorker. Jadeja trapped Fabian Allen LBW with a sharp turning delivery. The chase lost all momentum.

By the time the 20th over ended, West Indies had struggled to 187/8, falling short by 89 runs.

The Indian players rushed onto the field, high-fiving and congratulating each other. Advay, after his *126 with the bat, finished with 3/27 in his four overs—a perfect all-round performance.

As he walked off, the Florida crowd stood up, chanting his name—"Advay! Advay!" His teammates, one by one, clapped and patted him on the back.

Harsha Bhogle: "What a debut for this young man! A century with the bat, three wickets with the ball, and a standing ovation from the crowd. This is the stuff of dreams!"

Ravi Shastri: "Absolutely, Harsha! Mark my words—this is the birth of a superstar!"

With a win by 89 runs, India had dominated, and the cricketing world had just witnessed the arrival of Advay Rai.

As the post-match presentation began, the Florida crowd was still buzzing from the spectacle they had just witnessed. India had completely outclassed the West Indies, winning by 89 runs, and there was no doubt about who the Man of the Match would be.

Harsha Bhogle, holding the microphone, smiled as he announced, "The Man of the Match… on debut… with 126 off 52 balls and 3/27 with the ball… ADVAY RAI!"*

The stadium erupted in cheers, the chants of "Advay! Advay!" ringing across the stands as the young debutant walked up to receive his trophy. His expression was calm, but there was a small smirk on his lips as he adjusted the medal around his neck.

Harsha extended his hand. "Advay, congratulations! A hundred on debut, three wickets with the ball, and a dominant Indian win. Tell me, how does this feel?"

Advay took the mic, exhaling slightly. "It feels good, Harsha Bhai. First match in an India jersey, and to contribute to a win—it's special."

Harsha smiled. "Special is an understatement! Let's talk about your batting first. You walked in, first ball of international cricket, and sent it straight into the stands. Then, you hit six sixes in the first over. What was going through your mind?"

Advay smirked slightly. "Not much, actually. I saw the ball, I liked it, so I hit it. Simple."

The crowd roared with laughter, and even Harsha chuckled. "Oh, I love that. 'See ball, hit ball.' That's a line we'll remember."

Harsha continued. "You and Rohit put up 145 in 10 overs, a record-breaking partnership. What was it like batting with him?"

Advay grinned. "It was fun. Rohit Bhai just told me to play my game, and watching him from the other end made my job easier. When he's in the mood, he makes batting look effortless."

Harsha nodded. "And then, with the ball—three wickets. You got Hetmyer, Brandon King, and Andre Russell. Which one was your favorite?"

Advay smirked. "Russell. He's a dangerous hitter, so getting him out was satisfying."

Harsha laughed. "Spoken like a true competitor! Finally, Advay, it's only your first game, but the crowd is already chanting your name. What message do you have for the fans?"

Advay looked around at the sea of blue jerseys in the stands, fans cheering loudly, and then back at Harsha. "Just… thank you. This is only the beginning. Hopefully, many more to come."

The crowd erupted again, chanting his name louder than ever as Harsha smiled. "Well, if this is just the beginning, I can't wait to see what's next. Ladies and gentlemen, your Man of the Match—ADVAY RAI!"

Advay lifted the trophy for the cameras as his teammates clapped from the sidelines. The world had just witnessed the arrival of a superstar.

After the post-match presentations, the Indian and West Indies players mingled on the field, exchanging handshakes, sharing a few laughs, and discussing the game. The Florida crowd was still buzzing, many fans lingering in the stands, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite players.

Advay stood near the boundary rope, chatting with Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul, both of whom were still in disbelief over his performance.

Pant shook his head dramatically. "Bro, I've seen crazy knocks, but six sixes in your first over? What even was that?"

KL Rahul smirked, nudging Advay. "Forget that—did you see Brathwaite's reaction after you got to your hundred? He looked like he saw a ghost."

Advay chuckled. "I was just playing my game. Didn't plan anything special."

Pant groaned. "See, that's what's scary. You didn't even plan, and you did this! What happens when you actually start planning?"

Meanwhile, a few yards away, Virat Kohli was deep in conversation with Carlos Brathwaite, the West Indies captain. They discussed the game for a bit before Brathwaite suddenly pointed toward Advay, shaking his head with a smirk.

"Where on earth did you find that monster?" he asked.

Virat turned to look at Advay, who was laughing with Rahul and Pant, completely oblivious to the conversation. Smirking, Virat folded his arms and replied, "He was always there. It was just a matter of time before the world found out."

Brathwaite exhaled, shaking his head. "If this is just his debut, I don't even wanna think about what's coming next."

Virat grinned. "You'll find out soon enough."

As the players continued chatting, taking final pictures, and signing autographs for fans, one thing was certain—the cricketing world had just been introduced to a new force, and his name was Advay Rai.

As the Indian team bus made its way back to The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, the adrenaline of the match slowly faded into exhaustion. The players, drained from the high-intensity game, had settled into their own routines. Some were fast asleep, their heads resting against the windows, while others had their headphones on, lost in their music.

Advay, however, was wide awake, his phone in his hand. A message notification popped up—Ananya Pandey.

Ananya: Mr. Superstar. Are you even real?

Advay smirked and quickly typed back.

Advay: Last I checked, yeah. Why? Did I do something special today?

Within seconds, her reply came.

Ananya: SIX SIXES IN YOUR FIRST OVER?! A HUNDRED ON DEBUT?! THREE WICKETS?!

Advay: So you watched?

Ananya: WATCHED? Advay, the whole country is losing its mind! You broke the internet! My entire feed is just your name. Even my dad was watching and said, 'This kid is something else.'

Advay chuckled softly, shaking his head. Virat, sitting a few rows ahead, glanced back, noticing his smirk.

"Talking to your girlfriend?" Virat teased.

Advay, without looking up, smirked. "Just handling some media attention, Virat Bhai."

Virat chuckled. "Right. 'Media attention.' Sure."

Returning to his phone, Advay saw another message from Ananya.

Ananya: By the way, when you bowed to the crowd after your century… that was kinda hot.

Advay raised an eyebrow, amused.

Advay: Oh? So, should I start bowing after everything I do?

Ananya: No. Then I'll have to start punching you again.

He chuckled, shaking his head.

Advay: Fair enough. But I'll take my real reward when I'm back.

Ananya: And what's that?

Advay: A proper celebration. Your treat. No excuses.

She sent a rolling eyes emoji, followed by a heart.

As the bus continued through the quiet Miami streets, Advay leaned back in his seat, a satisfied smirk still on his face.

After finishing his conversation with Ananya, Advay stretched his legs and switched to browsing through the forums and social media, curious to see how the fans were reacting to his debut.

He opened Twitter, and his name was trending at #1 worldwide—#AdvayRaiOnFire.

The top post was a video of his six sixes in the first over, captioned:

"What did we just witness?! A DEBUTANT hitting six sixes! This guy is a freak! 😱🔥 #AdvayRai #NextSuperstar"

Advay chuckled, scrolling down. The reactions were hilarious.

One fan wrote:

"West Indies came to play a cricket match. Advay Rai turned it into a highlight reel."

Another had posted a meme of Virat Kohli's reaction when Advay hit his hundred, captioned:

"Even King Kohli couldn't believe it. The future is here! #AdvayRai #ManOfTheMatch"

A long thread had broken down every aspect of his performance:

"Six sixes ✅

Fastest debut hundred ✅

Three wickets ✅

Carrying the swag of a seasoned player ✅

India has found their next global superstar!"

On Reddit, a fan had started a discussion:

"Is Advay Rai the most destructive debutant ever?"

The top comment had thousands of upvotes:

"Forget debutant—he's already playing like a top 5 T20 batter in the world!"

Someone else wrote:

"Advay Rai didn't debut for India. India debuted for Advay Rai."

Advay smirked, shaking his head. This was madness. He had dominated IPL before, but this was something else. The entire cricketing world had just witnessed what he could do.

Just then, Rohit Sharma, sitting in the seat ahead of him, turned around. "What are you grinning at?"

Advay tilted his phone toward him. "Just seeing how the internet is reacting."

Rohit scrolled through a few tweets and let out a whistle. "Man, you've completely hijacked cricket Twitter."

KL Rahul, leaning over from across the aisle, laughed. "Bro, even my mom called me and asked, 'Who is this Advay Rai?'"

Advay shook his head. "Tell her I'm just a guy who had a good day."

Rohit smirked. "No, kid. You're the guy now."

As the bus rolled through the quiet Miami streets, Advay locked his phone and leaned back, closing his eyes. The world was talking about him. And he was just getting started.

The next two T20Is followed a similar script—India dominated, winning the series with ease.

In the second match, played again at the Central Broward Regional Park Stadium, Advay walked out with the same confidence. This time, the West Indies bowlers were more cautious, but it didn't stop him from playing another impactful innings. He scored a quickfire 67, stabilizing the innings after an early wicket. His knock included five fours and four sixes, once again proving his aggressive intent.

Later, with the ball, he struck twice, removing Nicholas Pooran with a sharp off-cutter and Andre Russell with a deceptive slower ball, finishing with 2/28 in four overs. His all-round performance ensured India chased down the target comfortably and sealed the series 2-0.

With the series already won, the team management rested Advay for the third T20I, giving other players a chance. Even without him, India cruised to victory, completing a 3-0 series whitewash over West Indies.

Now, with the T20I series wrapped up, it was time to shift focus to the ODIs.

After wrapping up the T20I series 3-0, the Indian team decided to celebrate with a team dinner before shifting focus to the ODIs. They booked a private section at Prime 112, a high-end steakhouse in Miami known for its elite clientele and top-tier food.

The players arrived dressed in casual but stylish outfits—Virat in a crisp black shirt, Rohit in a relaxed polo, KL Rahul sporting his usual streetwear style, and Advay in a fitted white t-shirt with a denim jacket.

As soon as they were seated, Rishabh Pant clapped his hands together.

"Alright, boys! Another clean sweep. Time to eat like champions!"

Hardik smirked, scanning the menu. "I hope they have extra servings for Pant. Man eats like he's preparing for a marathon."

Pant scoffed. "I'm still growing, bro!"

The waiters arrived, taking orders. Some went for steaks, others for seafood. Advay, sitting between KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma, flipped through the menu before ordering a grilled salmon with mashed potatoes.

Virat, sitting across from him, raised an eyebrow. "Salmon? You're already on a strict diet?"

Advay smirked. "Gotta stay fit, Virat Bhai. If I start eating like Pant, my strike rate might drop."

The table burst into laughter, while Pant groaned. "Why am I always the target?"

Chahal, grinning, leaned in. "Because you give the best reactions!"

As the food arrived, conversations shifted from cricket to random topics. Shreyas Iyer and Chahal started debating about the best football club, while Bumrah and Jadeja talked about upcoming Bollywood movies.

Meanwhile, KL Rahul nudged Advay. "By the way, saw your Insta. Ananya commented on your post."

Advay, sipping his water, smirked. "Yeah? What did she say?"

Rahul grinned. "'Not bad, Rai. Maybe I'll watch your next match.'"

Hardik, overhearing, smirked. "Oho! She's still playing hard to get, huh?"

Advay chuckled. "Nah, she just likes messing with me."

Virat, amused, joined in. "That's dangerous, bro. If she starts messing with your focus, I'll personally make you delete Instagram."

The table erupted in laughter again, while Advay shook his head. "Don't worry, Virat Bhai. Cricket first, always."

As the dinner wrapped up, the players leaned back in their chairs, completely relaxed, enjoying one of the rare moments away from the game. The night ended with a round of toasts—Rohit raising his glass, thanking everyone for a great start to the tour.

"Next up, ODIs," he said, looking at Advay with a knowing smile. "Time to do it all over again."

Advay smirked, raising his glass. "Always ready."

The team clinked glasses, the bond stronger than ever, ready for the battles ahead.