Story The Dream - A story of a young cricketer who dreams big

[shantanu_rooney]

Well, yeah I must say you are seeing it, I am starting yet another story for all Planet Cricket Members. You can ask me why a new story? The answer is simple I always wanted to do something different and this story will be different. This story is a career diary of a young cricketer from small town in Mumbai, named Shantanu Ambekar. He dreams big of playing for India and this story will portray all the ups and downs he faces to achieve his dream.

You can ask me, when I have already started so many stories earlier why don't I continue one of them? Well now am going to be honest with you people that, since reading some great career diaries like this one by Suren bhaihttp://www.planetcricket.org/forums...ory-chapter-14-team-news-surprises-52997.html and this one by Tom Three Lions on the Shirt? **Chris Read battles on for Notts!!!** I always wanted to write a career diary on myself and so I am starting a new career diary and I hope I get some success. :upray

Now talking about this diary you can ask me, who is this Shantanu Ambekar? and why is this diary named 'The Dream'? The answer to this is very easy. Shantanu Ambekar is a seventeen year-old teen who stays in Mumbai and dreams big, that's playing for the Indian National team alongside the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni. This diary will show and tell us whether his dream will become a reality one day or will he end up like any other Indian cricketer who fails to make it big.

I think I have given you all, a brief of this diary. I conclude by hoping that the readers have got a clear picture of what this diary is about. Once I again am thankful to the members for supporting and encouraging me in my all previous works and I hope that I get the same support in this as well.​

 

[Gary123]

A Nice start to this one.
Looking forward to this story.
Hopefully you will continue this one as long as you can.
And Make 'The Dream' into 'A Reality'.
Best Of Luck.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

A Nice start to this one.
Looking forward to this story.
Hopefully you will continue this one as long as you can.
And Make 'The Dream' into 'A Reality'.
Best Of Luck.

Thanks a lot mate, hope you follow this one.

 

[Dutch]

I have always enjoyed your Liverpool stories and I will be keeping an eye on this one too. Good luck and I am sure it will be worthwhile reading and writing.

 

[Amiya]

I have followed your all story and they all are top class. I hope the same here and will be following this one.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Chapter 1: The Phone Call

Tring! Tring! Tring!

It was seven o'clock in the morning when my cell phone ring woke me up. I was dreaming the same dream that every Indian cricket lover has..., thats playing for India along with Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni etc and winning the world cup, but as my name was called for receiving the winners medal, the phone ring disturbed my sleep and I had to wake up.I had to wake up and I saw that I was on my bed in my small bedroom, whose walls were full of cricket posters. I thought who the hell would be calling me so early on a Sunday morning as I received the call on my cell.

Hello?(I spoke in a sleepy tone)

Hello, is this Shantanu Ambekar from Vikas Complex, Thane?

Yeah, I am Shantanu, but who is this?(I felt like killing the person who had called me so early to disturb my sleep and kill my dream).

Hi Shantanu, I am Sulakshan Kulkarni from the Mumbai Ranji Cricket team(I was awestruck when I heard the name) and I have called to tell you that we have decided to give you a one-year contract with the team for the upcoming Ranji season starting in November.

Wow! I can't believe it, this is really great news.

We have been impressed with your performance during the trails match and also during the nets session the next day. So we hope you to join us for the first training session of the season on coming Tuesday.

Yeah sure, I can't wait to meat my new team mates and train with them. But where is the training session going to be held?(I asked this question keeping in mind there were three stadiums in Mumbai and I was very eager to train at any one of those stadiums).

It will take place at the Bandra Kurla Complex at sharp 8 o'clock in the morning and I hope to see you and your friend there before time.

Yes sir, but me and my friend? Who?

Yeah, anyways bye for now see you at the training.

Bye, Thanks a lot.

Wow, I really couldn't believe what I had just heard. Was is all a dream or was it a reality. It had been almost 20 days since I played that trials match at the Azad Maidan and I had lost all hopes of playing for India. Leave alone India I had lost hopes of even playing professional cricket in my life. But this phone call has surely changed my life completely and I can't wait for Tuesday to arrive, when I meet my new Mumbai team mates.

I left my bedroom and went out to the living room where my family were having their breakfast and at the dining table I told them this news. No one believed me at first and all of them thought I was joking but later when I told my father to come along with me to my first training session on Tuesday, they all started believing me. I could see the same happiness and pride in all of their eyes when - they completely believed me - which came when my twelve year old brother had won his first ever national table tennis trophy but now he has seven of them.

I couldn't control my joy, my dream was becoming true. I knew playing for India was still very far, but this phone call was surely a small step towards my dream. I told this news to my family relatives and they all were proud of me. But one thought kept coming in my mind again and again. Who was my friend, who had been selected along with me to play for the Mumbai Ranji team?​

 

[Prithvi]

great presentation mate..:hpraise
KIUGW.
Hope your dream turns true. Good Luck

 

[Storer11]

Good start. Keep it up.

 

[Gary123]

Nice update there Shan.
I liked it.
But just personally I would like to ask-Is it that easy to get selected for the Ranji[Mumbai]Team?
I mean,A phone call and that's it.
As a story, I know you have to go through these intros quickly,but even if one has immense talent I don't think selectors by just seeing the performance in trail matches will ever call anyone.
I think if you could also bring up the certain issues like corrupt officials and that all,it would actually be fun and interesting to read and follow.[At least for me]
Just want someone to show up the real fact story as it really happens here.
Looking forward for some things surely.
Cheers

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Nice update there Shan.
I liked it.
But just personally I would like to ask-Is it that easy to get selected for the Ranji[Mumbai]Team?
I mean,A phone call and that's it.
As a story, I know you have to go through these intros quickly,but even if one has immense talent I don't think selectors by just seeing the performance in trail matches will ever call anyone.
I think if you could also bring up the certain issues like corrupt officials and that all,it would actually be fun and interesting to read and follow.[At least for me]
Just want someone to show up the real fact story as it really happens here.
Looking forward for some things surely.
Cheers

Well, this was something whats gonna happen in future, there would be a flash back very soon.

 

[surendar]

Just an alert message from Story Mod team,

" You have reached your limit of maximum stories. Actually,

India's Road to the World Cup 2011
India's International Diary
Current story thread

should have been merged and closed as per the rules. I am allowing it because, both the stories i.e. India stories were started before the new rules. But with this story, the count has reached beyond it's limit & hence anymore new story thread, if started, the writer has to face the consequences mentioned in the rules. The rules are common for all. :readit "

Like to remind the rules again,

http://www.planetcricket.org/forums...leagues/story-forums-rules-changes-55996.html

-Story Mod Team.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Chapter 2: My Best Friend​

I couldn't believe it when it came in my mind. I said to myself "No way, he can't be him. No thats really not possible." I was thinking about my best friend Mihir, who is complete bookworm. I knew him since the age of ten and we have been the best of friends since then. We studied in the same class for almost five continuous years till we passed out of school. He was a very studious boy who had very little interest in sports and used most of his time studying or reading books. He was great at academics but at the same time he had a secret talent that he was a really good bowler and that's why he was forced to play for the our school team. Whenever we used to talk, we used talk about movies, books or studies, sports never came in our topics until and unless anything extraordinary happens in any of the matches.

After passing out of school he took admission in one of the best colleges in Mumbai to pursue his career as an engineer, while on the other hand, I took admission in a good college in my town Thane itself to save time of traveling and luckily the college was also well known for its achievements in sports. We used to meet weekly during our colleges days but we never used to talk about sports or cricket in particular. Only once I can remember, that he had mentioned about him playing for his college team and then we never talked on that topic again. This thought made me really excited and happy that I was going to be meeting my best friend regularly now. I picked up my mobile hoping that my guess would be correct. I called him..

Hello(He said in his usual hurried tone)

Hello Mihir, this Shantanu.

Yeah, talk, how are you? Why did you call?

I am fine, thanks. By the way are you selected for the Mumbai Ranji Team?(I hoped his answer was yes.)

Who told you? Are you too selected?

That means, yes right. You are selected right?(I was really very happy when I heard the 'too' in his answer.)

Yes, I got the phone call today and they told me to be at training on Tuesday morning. I don't think so I will be able to make it.

What!!, Are you gone crazy? Why??(I felt like shouting at him when he said he couldn't make it but some how controlled.)

Look mate, I went for that net session just because I was free that day and just for time pass. I had never thought that I would get selected for Mumbai.

What?? You were selected for the net sessions because of your great performances for your college team and they were impressed by you thats why they called you up today and now you are deciding to reject the offer? This is chance in a lifetime.

I dont care mate, I can't take Cricket as my career. I always wanted to become an engineer like my father and for that I am ready to let this chance go away. I will call them later today, saying I don't have time. Hope you understand it mate.

Yeah, but Mihir think on it. Bye,(I angrily ended my call, without waiting for his response.)

I couldn't believe it. How could he reject a chance to play for Mumbai. It was like an impossible decision for me not for him, who wants to become a great computer engineer like his father. I felt a bit sad that my best friend wouldn't be with me playing for Mumbai even though he had a great chance to be with, but at the same time the chance of playing for Mumbai Ranji team who have produced many greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Wasim Jaffer etc excited me again.​

 

[yashwanth kumar]

A Nice start to this one.
Looking forward to this story.
Hope you convert 'The Dream' story into 'A Reality'.
Best Of Luck.

 

[Ollie_H]

Nice start to the story Shan, always enjoyed your stories and the only problem I have with them is that you never continue with them. I really hope you continue this one for a long time!

 

[Gary123]

I should tell you shan-
:hpraise
That was a beauty of an update!
Just what makes me read on and on.
Don't ever dare to quit this one now: