ICT ONE-SHOTS (FRIENDSHIP)

Looking back today (Rohit-Jassi-Hardik)

 When Jassi was bought by MI before IPL 2015, he felt apprehension mingled with jubilation. His Gujarat teammates had told him all they had heard about the Indian national team seniors, and how strict and powerful they were. His captain was supposed to be one of them.

There was another new player from Gujarat, whom Jassi didn't know from before in spite of being from the same state, because he hadn't played first class. Maybe he could make friends with him; then he might not have to mingle much with the seniors after all.

The team was assembled in Mumbai a week before IPL began, and as Jassi soon saw, Hardik Pandya could not possibly become his friend ever.

His first glimpse of the guy was when he entered the hotel lobby.

He was sitting in a very bro-like manner with Keiron Pollard (whom Jassi found intimidating, too; to tell the truth he found everyone intimidating, but the big West Indian especially so). Hardik was showing off the tattoo in his arm to Pollard, and Pollard made a slightly lewd comment, and then they were both laughing uproariously.

Jassi sank a little more into himself. Not an inviting atmosphere at all.

After a while, the captain Rohit Sharma entered. He greeted a few of his friends, grinning and patting them on the back. Then he said, raising his voice a little, "We welcome you all into the Mumbai Indians family."

He didn't look or sound ferocious, thought Jassi uneasily.

Hardik jumped up immediately, bounding over to Rohit and saying, "I'm Hardik Pandya, captain. Your new teammate."

God, how could anyone be so cocksure of himself? Jassi waited to see Rohit's reaction.

Rohit grinned widely and shook Hardik's hand. "So I've heard."

Hardik was beaming. Rohit was beaming. What was wrong with everyone?

Then Rohit looked around and saw Jassi. 

"Jasprit?" he said.

"Y-yes," Jassi managed.

"Welcome here. I promise you'll soon start to love this team," said Rohit warmly.

Jassi blinked rapidly, scanning his brains for something to say. Anything to say. But the only things making rounds in his brain was, this man scored ODI's first 250 last year. This man came back from the World Cup after losing the semi final few weeks ago. He was one of the best limited overs batsman in the world. He was an indispensable member of the Indian Cricket Team.

And Jassi, himself, was nothing.

Rohit seemed to see that Jassi was tongue tied, so he rescued him the bother of saying anything by smiling at him and then moving on to welcoming one of the other new members; a foreigner.

Hardik was hanging around the Mumbai Indians core group like he had always been here. 

Jassi wondered if getting selected in a big team like this was a blessing or a curse.

_________________

The next morning Jassi went to the field for practice without having breakfast, he was so scared he might be late. As it turned out, he was the first person to turn up; though it was already 8:50, and the practice session was scheduled at 9.

Slowly the entire team arrived in twos or threes, seeming very relaxed and carefree. 

It was all right for them, Jassi told himself. They had made a name for themselves, they could slack a little.

He definitely couldn't.

Around 9:15, everyone was waiting for the coaches to arrive, and unexpectedly, Hardik made a beeline for him.