HULRAT ONESHOTS (Virat-Rahul stories)

Favourite batting partners and Virat's usual nonsense

It wasn't that Rahul was not fond of the entire team. But when it came to batting partners, he did have a preference. A couple of them.

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Trent Bridge, Day 2

"Nervous?" asked Rohit, as the openers were walking out to bat during the 1st innings.

"No," said Rahul quickly. "Are you?"

Rohit saw right through the cover-up, because he grinned teasingly and said, "Not as much as you. Best of luck!"

Luck was certainly on their side that day. Rohit and Rahul's 96-run stand in the challenging conditions rendered the team balcony hysteric with happiness, till Rohit played one his clever holing-out-into-the-deep pulls.

"What did you do that for?" said Rahul in exasperation, as Rohit crossed him to return to the pavilion.

"Sorry, kiddo," said Rohit, morosed. "You carry on, ok?"

Rahul chose to ignore the kiddo, which was plain insulting actually.

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Lord's, Day 1

"PERFECT, THIS IS PERFECT, AND IT'S LORD'S, RAHULIYA—IT'S LORD'S—"

Rahul raised his bat to his team, and looked up at the sky, thanking every god in existence.

"—YOUR NAME WILL GO UP IN THE HONOUR'S BOARD OF LORD'S, EVEN SACHIN SIR DOESN'T HAVE THAT!"

Virat slapped Rahul on the back so hard (to vent his excitement) that Rahul almost stumbled forward. He turned to look at Virat sternly—imagine if he had stumbled—one of the most prestigious moments of his life would have been rendered ridiculous.

"Won't you hug me, Rahuliya? Won't you cry on my shoulder?"

"NO."

"Please cry on my shoulder, I loved that, it'll be just—"

A couple of English players were within earshot, and a mortified Rahul, mostly to shut Virat up, hugged him. But he did not bury his head into his shoulder and cry.

That had been so childish in the first place.

Virat's eyes were shining with pride. It made Rahul feel warm with happiness.

"I'm just so happy, kiddo."

Second time in two Tests someone called him kiddo.

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Rahul thought everyone in team sort of respected him. Well of course, Mayank didn't, but what would you expect from him? Hardik also didn't, but what would you expect of him?

Well, amended Rahul in his head. Everyone in the team treated him his age, except two. Virat, honestly, had never treated him like a grown-up, right from day one. These days it increasingly seemed to Rahul that Rohit didn't really treat him like a grow-up either. Something had changed in their equation since the 2019 WC. For the better. Definitely.

It was strange those two were the ones he loved batting with the most. [Mayank wasn't even in consideration.]

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Lord's, Day 5

Post dinner on the day they won the historic Test at Lord's, 16th August, 2021, Rahul had made the mistake of letting slip to Virat that he loved batting with him and Rohit the most.

"It's not like I don't like batting with Pujji and Jinks," he added hastily. "But I think I play best when you or Rohit are at the other end. Is it weird?"