The GOAT of Cricket

**Queen's Park Oval, Trinidad — July 6, 2016**

The Caribbean sun poured like molten gold over Queen's Park Oval, but the real fire was on the pitch. After Ishaan Verma's explosive debut had electrified the cricketing world, the second T20I between India and West Indies was more than just a match — it was a statement waiting to be made.

India led the series 1–0, but West Indies had pride to defend, and when the toss went India's way — Rohit Sharma choosing to bowl first — the contest was set for drama.

**India XI:** Rohit (c), Dhawan, Ishaan, Dhoni (wk), Hardik, Jadeja, Bumrah, Bhuvi, Chahal, Ashwin, Kohli (12th man)

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### First Innings: West Indies Batting

**Opening Over:** Bumrah to Gayle. First ball — swing and miss. Third ball — *BANG!* Over midwicket. Six.

**Stump Mic — Dhoni:**

> "Plan B, now. He's come to kill."

Bumrah struck back — Charles bowled by a yorker. But Gayle was savage, pulling Ashwin for back-to-back sixes and lifting Bhuvi straight down the ground.

**8th Over:** Jadeja to Gayle. Full toss. *SIX!* Into the top tier. Gayle raised his bat. 50 off 27.

Kohli from the dugout shouted, "Stick to the plan, boys! Don't let the crowd bowl for them!"

Pooran joined the carnage with a quick 36. But Ishaan, prowling at long-on, pulled off a leaping boundary save that denied a certain six.

**Final Score:** West Indies — **176/6** (20 overs)

Gayle — 68 (35)

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### Second Innings: India Chase

**1st Over:** Jason Holder to Rohit — *clean bowled.* First ball nip-backer. Crowd explodes.

Dhawan gone next — LBW to Narine. India 10/2.

**Ishaan Verma walks in.**

**First Ball:** Short. He sways.

**Second Ball:** Short again — pulled behind square — *FOUR!*

Dhoni joins him but falls cheaply.

India 36/3.

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### Building the Innings

Hardik Pandya joins Ishaan. The pair rotate strike, run hard, and frustrate the field. Ishaan times the ball like silk, especially off the back foot. An inside-out six off Badree earns applause from locals.

**13th Over:** Hardik falls — caught at long-off.

Ishaan turns to Jadeja, who walks in coolly.

**"What's the plan?"** Jadeja asks.

**"I anchor. You detonate,"** Ishaan replies.

The two stitch a gritty partnership. Ishaan brings up his 50 in the 16th over — a calculated, elegant knock under pressure.

**Commentary — Harsha Bhogle:**

> "This is not a boy. This is a craftsman in disguise."

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### Final Overs

**18th Over — Brathwaite to Ishaan:**

* Ball 1: Full toss — *SIX!* over fine leg.

* Ball 2: Wide — cut for *FOUR!*

* Ball 3: Dot.

* Ball 4: Yorker — single.

India needs 17 off 12.

Jadeja falls. Chahal survives.

**Last Over — Narine to Ishaan:**

* Ball 1: Dot.

* Ball 2: *SIX!* over long-off.

* Ball 3: Dot.

* Ball 4: *FOUR!* swept fine.

**1 needed off 2.**

Ball 5: Tossed up. Ishaan dances down. He lofts it...

**Over mid-off... it soars... it's gone! SIX!**

**INDIA WIN BY 4 WICKETS.**

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### Celebration

Kohli sprints onto the field.

"YESSS! That's how you chase under pressure!"

Dhoni hugs Ishaan. Hardik throws his gloves into the crowd.

**Ishaan Verma: 68* (45)*\* — not out, not flustered, just flaming.

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### Post-Match Ceremony

**Reporter:** "Do you feel like the next Virat Kohli?"

**Ishaan:** "There's only one Virat. I'm trying to be the first me."

**Kohli's Tweet:**

> *68* in a chase like that? Composed. Classy. Clinical. Reminds me of a young me. Keep shining, champ. 🇮🇳🔥 #IshaanVerma

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### Midnight Reflections

Back in his hotel, Ishaan video calls Meera.

"Did you see the last shot?" he asks.

"Your father would've called it 'his kind of ending,'" she replies.

He sits by the window. The wind hums outside.

*Fire in the wind,* he thinks. *Let it spread.*

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