Cricket System:Second Chance For Raj
Chapter 67: The Steelheart Stage

Chapter 67: The Steelheart Stage

The shortlist was announced at midnight.

No press release.

No speech.

Just a clean system notification that blinked silently across every candidate’s panel.

"TOP 24 NATIONAL SHORTLIST – CONFIRMED

Qualified: YES

Welcome to the Steelheart Stage."

Raj read it once.Then set his device down.

No cheers.No smile.

Just a breath that ran deeper than relief — stitched with something heavier.

Responsibility.

Because this wasn’t just about his rise anymore.It was about every silent player watching from the shadows, waiting for someone like them to be seen.

By sunrise, the Top 24 stood on the gravel of Legacy Field.No grass.No painted lines.

Just a cracked, open ground flanked by iron poles and faded banners of past legends.

Here, noise meant nothing.Only memory mattered.

The camp coordinator, an ex-national test captain named Armaan Singh, stepped forward with a clipboard and a frown.

"Congratulations. You’ve reached the stage where the jersey doesn’t care about your followers."

Silence.He continued.

"Legacy Field was built for one purpose — to see if your identity can survive pressure."

Another pause.

"Each of you will be thrown into roles you hate. Teamed with people you don’t trust. Given tactics you wouldn’t use."

He stared straight at Raj for a beat longer.

"Let’s see who still leads when the silence doesn’t comfort you."

⟐ SYSTEM NOTICE: THE STEELHEART STAGE – PHASE 1 ACTIVE ⟐

- Top 24 Phase: Tactical Mismatch Trial

- Objective: Maintain leadership presence under role sabotage

- Partner Assignment: Random

- Role Given: Wicketkeeper (Non-Specialist)

- Team Status: Mixed

- Trait Suppression Active: Flame Rhythm Disabled

- Opponent Team: Rival Captain Rahul – Official Strategist

Raj closed the message and blinked once.

Wicketkeeping?

He’d never kept in a real match before.But that was the trial.This stage wasn’t about playing your part.

It was about stitching control where you had none.

As gear was distributed, some laughed.One player raised a brow at Raj.

"You sure you don’t speak because you’re mysterious?"

Another chuckled, "Nah, he’s probably screaming inside."

Raj didn’t reply.He slipped on the gloves.

Checked the grip and stared down the center pitch — cracked, rough, unpredictable.

Just like this trial.But he didn’t fear it.Because where others saw chaos...he always saw patterns.Even when the threads weren’t his.

Raj crouched behind the stumps.The gloves felt stiff — not worn, not broken in — and the pitch ahead looked like it hadn’t been watered in weeks.

This wasn’t a cricket field.This was a psychological trap dressed in leather balls and wooden bats.

The trial had only one goal:

Break leaders by handing them positions they don’t control and Raj had just been given the worst seat for influence.

The first bowler — a fast-medium from Gujarat named Kavin — didn’t trust him.

He stared over his shoulder before every delivery, clearly uncomfortable.

Raj didn’t complain.Didn’t flinch.He watched.

Studied bounce.

Marked swing angles and used what little vision he had to start mapping the match from the dirt.

First over — clean.

Second — one missed take, low bounce.

Third — an inside edge that clipped Raj’s glove and rolled.

He retrieved it, adjusted his stance, and kept going.

No head shake.

No apology.

No irritation.

Just resilience stitched into posture.

⟐ SYSTEM UPDATE: TACTICAL MISMATCH ACTIVE ⟐

- Assigned Role: Wicketkeeper

- Specialization: 0%

- Match Sync: 72%

- Suppression Debuff: Rhythm Traits Disabled

- Observer Notes: "Still calm. Still calculating."

- Bonus Modifier: Leadership Perception Holding

—

On the fourth over, a misfield at mid-off caused the bowler to snap.

"This is what happens when silent guys get slots!"

He glared toward Raj — trying to find a target for frustration.

Raj simply picked up the ball from the back net and lobbed it back without comment.But inside, the calculation continued.

Angles.

Foot placement.

Overlaps.

Even without rhythm traits, his pattern instincts refused to shut down.

Then came the sixth over.

A sharp edge flew wide — Raj dived left.

Full stretch.No gloves.Just fingertips.

The ball bounced and slowed.

The team sighed.But Raj didn’t stay down.

He launched to his feet, recovered the ball, and fired it to square-leg in one motion catching the striker overrun.

Appeal.

Finger up.

Wicket.

The bowler froze.The team paused.Then the scoreboard flickered.

Out.

⟐ SYSTEM ALERT: LEADERSHIP INFLUENCE OVERRIDE TRIGGERED ⟐

- Role: Mismatch

- Impact: High

- Squad Sync: +11%

- Observation Status: Elevated

- Analyst Comment: "He stitched a dismissal out of a dropped chance."

—

No celebration from Raj.No smirk.

He just dusted his gloves, returned to stance, and stared down the next batter.

Because the silence was his armor.

And even roles he didn’t own?

He could still shape.

By the 10th over, the scoreboard wasn’t what mattered anymore.It was the glances.

The way bowlers began checking Raj’s reactions instead of barking at him.

The way fielders started adjusting their positions slightly based on his crouch alignment.

The way backup calls started echoing with instinct, not argument.

Raj hadn’t earned respect by shouting.

He had earned it by surviving a role he didn’t ask for and still stitching control from the back seat.

Then came the toughest test.A spinner from the opposing squad bowled a sudden leg-break — sharp turn.

The batter swept aggressively.Ball clipped edge.

Shot up.

Raj didn’t have enough time.But he dove anyway — forward, under the bounce, full stretch.

Impact on raw fingers.

The ball dropped from glove to palm.

Barely held.

Umpire raised a finger.

Crowd in the monitoring zone gasped.

One analyst whispered, "He’s not even supposed to be keeping."

Raj exhaled.Pain shot through his wrist.

He didn’t show it.Just handed the ball back.

Glanced at the pitch.Shifted left again.

Reset his rhythm manually.

⟐ SYSTEM NOTICE: LEGACY FIELD SYNC INCREASING ⟐

- Role Mismatch Penalty Reduced

- Wicket Count: 2 Dismissals Credited

- Field Trust: 81%

- Impact Recognition: National Coach Marked

- Internal Quote: "He doesn’t speak, but somehow every move he makes feels right."

Opposition batters started targeting other zones.

Avoiding his side.

That’s when Raj knew he’d done enough.

Because real leadership isn’t when people listen to you.

It’s when they adjust their actions because of you.

Even rivals.

L

After the innings, Squad Mentor Armaan stepped near him.

Didn’t smile.

Didn’t nod.

Just dropped a towel into Raj’s palm.

"You stitched that half with bare thread," he muttered. "Let’s see if you can lead while chasing now."

Raj didn’t speak.Just wiped his face once and walked to the other end of the field — to prepare for the second innings.

Wrist sore.Knees tight.Mind calm.

Because now?

Now came the harder half.Batting under suppression.

With nothing but instinct to stitch a result.

The second innings began without fanfare.

Chasing 112 on a broken pitch, under role suppression, with players unfamiliar to one another — this wasn’t a match.

It was a mirror.

To show each candidate who they really were when stripped of comfort.

Raj padded up at number four.Not because he asked for it.

But because the squad adjusted without being told.

They left him space.Without debate.

Wickets fell early.Impatience ruled.

The opener chipped to mid-off.

The #3 tried to slog-sweep a skidding delivery and missed.

And now — 21/2 in 5 overs — Raj walked in.

His right wrist throbbed behind the gloves.

No system aid.No field rhythm.No emotional sync traits.

But none of it mattered.

Because when silence stitched itself deep enough, even pain became part of the pattern.

First ball — dot.

Second — misfield, quick single.

Third — off-glance for two.

Fourth — driven into the gap.

The crowd watching online began to stir.

The national coaches whispered behind their hands.

Because what they were seeing wasn’t power.

It was precision through pressure.

⟐ SYSTEM ALERT: ROLE SUPPRESSION WEAKENING ⟐

- Manual Adaptation Detected

- Performance Clarity: Holding

- Field Awareness: Auto-Recovery Partial

-Recognition Status: Scout Network Update – "Performs Under Constraint"

- Mental Stability Rating: 92%

By the 12th over, Raj had 29 runs off 22 balls.

No boundaries.

All gaps.

Rotations.

Threaded placements that pushed fielders into discomfort.

Every single run was a stitch.Not in the scoreboard.But in squad trust.

Then came the 15th over.

Fast bouncer — unexpected.

Raj ducked.

Next ball — full toss on the toe.

He shifted late and jabbed it behind square.

Four.

The first one.The dugout clapped lightly.

Not because of the shot.But because they knew he’d been playing blindfolded by the system, and still charting light through cracks.

The chase ended in the 19th over.

Raj on 46*.

Team won.

No fist pumps.

No jumps.

Just exhale.

And a glance toward the cracked pitch — the same one that tried to break him.

It hadn’t.Because steel didn’t bend when flame stitched it steady.

Back in the player lounge, Armaan walked past Raj slowly.

Paused.

And finally spoke with a voice that carried weight.

"You weren’t supposed to win this role."

Raj looked up.

Didn’t speak.

Armaan shrugged.

"And yet, the match followed you anyway."

⟐ SYSTEM ARC COMPLETE: THE STEELHEART STAGE ⟐

- Role Mismatch Passed

- Suppression Overcome

- National Observer Score: 95

- Fan Impressions: 63,000+

- Final Status: Promoted to Tactical Leadership Round

- Trait Upgrade Unlocked: Flame Without Fuel

 Effect: When system abilities are suppressed, leadership instincts remain active

-New Title Unlocked: Steelthread

Raj didn’t react.He didn’t need the applause.

Because the next trial was coming.

And his silence?

It wasn’t passive anymore.It was the sharpest answer left in the game.

To be continued.....