Cricket Ascend System

Chapter 25: Morning Nets

Sahil barely slept properly.

Not because of excitement.

Because of pressure.

There was a difference.

At 5:10 a.m., Riverside Gully looked completely different from its noisy evening version.

Silent roads.

Closed shops.

Cold air.

Stray dogs sleeping near parked scooters.

Even Sharma Electronics looked lifeless without boys screaming over cricket arguments.

Sahil reached the school ground early carrying his old kitbag.

And immediately felt out of place again.

Proper nets.

Fresh pitch covers.

Boundary rope.

White cones for drills.

Everything looked cleaner.

Organized.

Professional.

Kabir Ahuja was already there.

Of course he was.

Fully padded.

Shadow practicing calmly.

Sahil instinctively looked at his own gloves afterward.

Old.

Faded.

One thumb strap barely stitched together.

Coach Verma arrived a few minutes later carrying a red leather ball.

The moment Sahil saw it—

his stomach tightened slightly.

"Warm-up first," Coach Verma said simply.

No dramatic speech.

No motivation.

Just routine.

The session started with catching drills.

And honestly?

Sahil struggled immediately.

The leather ball came faster. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

Harder.

More painful.

One catch struck directly against his palm.

Another slipped through awkwardly.

Kabir completed the same drill effortlessly beside him.

The system appeared briefly.

FIELDING REVIEW

Current Leather Ball Adaptation: Poor

Main Issue: Host reacting late to ball speed.

Recommendation: Increase repetition exposure.

Sahil clicked his tongue quietly.

Even basic fielding still looked bad compared to trained players.

Then batting practice started.

And suddenly—

everyone paid attention again.

Because batting was where Sahil became dangerous.

Coach Verma himself began bowling first.

"Don’t hit hard," he warned immediately.

"Just bat."

That instruction honestly felt impossible.

First ball.

Good length outside off.

Sahil defended awkwardly.

The impact stung badly.

Second ball.

Straighter.

This time Sahil stayed balanced longer.

Soft hands.

Controlled push toward mid-on.

Better.

Third ball.

Short.

Instinct activated instantly.

Sahil pulled hard automatically.

The ball flew over square leg netting completely.

Everyone looked up immediately.

Kabir blinked once.

Coach Verma sighed.

"You people only understand violence."

Even Sahil looked surprised.

Because the shot felt rushed.

Yet the ball still traveled absurdly far.

SHOT ANALYSIS COMPLETE

Connection Quality: 57%

Timing: 60%

Result Cause: Extreme bat-speed compensation.

Negative: ✘ Front shoulder opened too early ✘ Balance collapse after contact

Coach Verma picked another ball calmly.

"Again."

The next fifteen minutes became exhausting.

Not physically.

Mentally.

Because Coach Verma kept forcing Sahil to repeat basic shots.

Straight drives.

Defensive pushes.

Front-foot balance.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Whenever Sahil tried overpowering—

the coach stopped him instantly.

"Too hard."

"Too early."

"Head falling."

"Watch longer."

It frustrated Sahil badly.

Because in Riverside—

those same aggressive swings made him special.

But here—

they exposed weaknesses instead.

Then finally—

something clicked.

One fuller delivery outside off.

Sahil stayed still longer.

Waited.

Then drove straight past the bowler.

Not hard.

Not violent.

Just perfectly timed.

The sound alone felt different.

Clean.

Pure.

Coach Verma nodded immediately.

"There."

Even Kabir glanced over properly this time.

SHOT ANALYSIS COMPLETE

Connection Quality: 91%

Timing: 86%

Positive: ✔ Stable base ✔ Correct head position ✔ Controlled acceleration through impact

Observation: Host produces elite ball travel even without maximum force.

That message stayed in Sahil’s head afterward.

Even without maximum force.

Meaning—

he didn’t need to swing wildly anymore.

The morning session ended after fitness drills.

And by the end—

Sahil’s legs felt destroyed again.

While leaving, Coach Verma spoke casually:

"Natural power is rare."

Sahil looked up immediately.

Then the coach added:

"But power without control creates highlights. Not careers."

That sentence hit harder than expected.

Because deep down— freёweɓnovel.com

Sahil knew it was true.

That evening—

he continued his missions after sunset near Riverside.

Not before school anymore.

Even Coach Verma had warned him about overtraining mornings before practice.

So now his schedule changed.

Evening Routine: ✔ 10 km running ✔ Shadow swings ✔ Wrist strengthening ✔ Balance drills

By 9:30 p.m., sweat completely soaked his shirt again.

But Mission 2 finally updated.

MISSION 2 COMPLETE

Run 10 km daily for 7 consecutive days.

Reward: +15 Endurance

Allocate Points?

YES / NO

Sahil selected YES instantly.

And for the first time—

he actually felt his body change slightly afterward.

Not dramatic.

But lighter.

Breathing smoother.

Legs less heavy.

Endurance: 12 → 27

A real athlete’s foundation had finally started forming.