A/N: Honestly I don't like the whole "Baton passing on" thing especially if a player is still playing. Shub's definitely the heir prince of the team, but let's wait till Virat retires yeah?
IPL was over and the ICT's next focus was on WTC. The heartbreak of 2021 still stung. A team rising from the humiliating defeat of 36 all out in Adelaide to conquering Gabba, their Lord's victory, stamping their authority all over Australia and England and then completely crumbling against New Zealand.
Of course, Virat was happy for his dear friend Kane, I mean if there was any team out there with just as much shitty lucky as India, it was NZ, and a part of him was happy New Zealand won an ICC tournament under Kane's captaincy and now that the reckless fool was out of contention for an year, it really wouldn't be the same facing off against them in the ODI WC.
Australia however, now that was another mountain they never could get past especially knock outs. Now, now, 2016 T20 WC was the last time, the two teams locked horns in a knock-out in an ICC tournament, and while another 82* saw them through, Virat was scared. England has always been that one country he's struggled in, those horrifying three years, the India tour of England the cycle before, while he scored two 50s, he had struggled to convert them to big scores, that was when he played all the wrong shots out of desperation to get the three figure mark. What an idiot he was. God he missed Rah, Rah who had been one of the heroes of the Lord's victory, even Ro at the Oval, but he had such a mediocre series, he still had doubts of his abilities. One century against Australia on a" lifeless pitch" at home did not determine if he was back to his very best.
Sitting on the terrace of the hotel overlooking the city, he let out a shuddery breath. He was lost in thought when a tall, lanky presence joined him and sat next to him. It wasn't until a warm fuzzy blanket was wrapped around him that he took note of the person by his side, he turned his head and saw his baby brother looking at him worriedly(with bloodshot eyes), it kind of reminded him of all the times Rah sat like this after a bad day, his big brother instincts kicked in and he pulled Shub in closer,
"Kya hua? Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"Neend nahi aa rahi thi. I needed air so I came up here." Shub started to look everywhere but at Vi, a telltale sign he was hiding something,
"Shub...is there something you want to tell me? Or Ro? Or anyone?"
"Nothing bhaiyaa. Can we just stay here for a while?"
"Okay."
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, a sniffling sound cut through the silent night and Vi looked at the kid startled, Shub burrowed his head in Vi's shoulder and just cried, all the emotions he hadn't released after the damned IPL finals came pouring out. Virat rubbed his shoulders comfortingly and shushed him quietly, Shub spoke up,
"How do you do it? You, Ro bhai? How do you guys deal with this?"
"What? Giving our best and not winning?"
"Yes! I tried so hard bhaiyaa, but I got out so stupidly in a IPL finals! And all those trolls, all of them saying they're happy I got out and and-" he cut himself off, he didn't want to hurt Vi by telling him the things those toxic fans were saying,
"And what Shub?" Vi asked anxiously watching the hesitation and torment in the kid's eyes,
"Nothing bhaiyaa, how could we have bottled so bad? We were on the verge of winning, 10 off of 2 and Jaddu bhaiyaa pulled off a masterclass. But it's all my fault! If I just played more cautiously, if I could have just been faster, maybe Mahi bhai wouldn't have stumped me out."
"Stop right there. It's Mahi bhai, he's got like the fastest reflexes, even the best of the best crumble when he's behind the stumps, even AB has gotten out to Mahi bhai, the number of times I've nicked the ball to him, he's Mahi bhai you just accept you're out and walk. Shub you were amazing the entire tournament. Sometimes, we get unlucky okay? Had it been a 20 over match, it would have been really difficult to chase that down, 214 wasn't easy. This is not on you. Am I clear?"
