Abhishek leaned back against the cool, grassy slope of the cricket ground, the warm New Zealand sun casting a golden glow over the field. The team had just finished a grueling practice session, and now it was time for some much-needed relaxation. He glanced around at his teammates, a grin spreading across his face. This was his family, and these moments of camaraderie were what made all the hard work worth it.

Rohit Sharma, the captain, was in the center of the group, regaling them with a story about his latest prank on their ex coach. "Aur phir, I filled his shampoo bottle with honey," he said, barely containing his laughter. "He spent an hour trying to figure out why his hair was sticky."

The group erupted into laughter. Abhishek shook his head, chuckling. "Bhai, aacha hua aapko bench nahi kiya!"

Rohit winked. "Woh toh kar dete, but it was worth it. Aur waise bhi unhe toh pata hi nahi that ki yeh Maine Kiya tha."

Virat Kohli, sitting nearby with his arms crossed, smirked. "Just wait till the next training session. He’s going to have some serious words for you."

"Oh, please," Rohit shot back. "As if you don’t pull pranks like that. Aur ha agar tune unhe kuch bhi bataya..."

Abhishek watched the banter with amusement. This was the part of the job he loved—the constant ribbing, the endless jokes, the shared experiences that bound them together. It was a relief from the intense pressure of the matches and the public scrutiny.

Ishan Kishan, the young wicketkeeper, was lounging on the grass, teasing Kuldeep Yadav about his batting. "Bhaiya, you should have seen your face when you missed that ball. Pure terror. Koi bhoot dekh liya ho, Aisa lag raha tha."

Kuldeep laughed, throwing a playful punch at Ishan. "Haa, uss ball se pehle Maine tujhe hi dekha tha. And waise bhi, at  least I don’t scream like a banshee every time I take a catch."

The banter was relentless, each joke followed by another, each tease returned with interest. Abhishek loved it. It was all in good fun, and it kept the team’s spirits high.

Mayank Agarwal was in the corner, mimicking Jasprit Bumrah’s unique bowling action. The rest of the team egged him on, laughing uncontrollably as he exaggerated every movement. "Spot on, Mayank," Abhishek said, clapping. "But you need to work on the intensity. Jassi Bhaiya's  got that deadly stare down."

Jasprit rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Tum log ruko. I’ll bowl you out in the nets tomorrow, and we’ll see who’s laughing then. Thik hai?"

Amid the laughter and the teasing, Abhishek’s mind wandered to Myra. She was often the target of their playful jabs, and her quick wit always kept them on their toes. He wondered what she was up to right now. Probably giving Shubman a hard time, he thought with a smirk.

His thoughts were interrupted by Rishabh Pant, who nudged him with his elbow. " Oho Bhai, What’s got you smiling like a lovesick puppy, Abhay?"

Abhishek snapped back to the present, shaking his head. "Kuch nahi yaar. Just thinking about the next match."

"Ha ha sahi hai," Rishabh said, winking. "Thinking about the match or thinking about a certain someone who might be watching?"

Abhishek groaned, knowing exactly where this was going. "Chhodo yaar. I’m not in the mood for this nonsense."

Rishabh grinned. "Come on, hum sab ko pata hai, you’ve got a thing for Myra. Don’t try to deny it."

Abhishek rolled his eyes. "Woh dost hai meri. Woh bhi haal filhaal Mai bani hai warna pehle toh chhod hi do."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," Ishan chimed in. "We’ve seen the way you two look at each other."

"Like we want to strangle each other?" Abhishek shot back, trying to deflect the conversation.

"Or like there’s some serious tension," Mayank said, waggling his eyebrows.

"Chalo, bass" Abhishek said, laughing despite himself. "Let’s get back to talking about how terrible Kuldeep’s batting is."

The conversation shifted, but Abhishek couldn’t shake the thoughts of Myra. Despite the constant bickering and the teasing, there was something about her that he couldn’t ignore. She was fierce, intelligent, and never backed down from a challenge. And maybe, just maybe, that was why he found himself thinking about her more than he cared to admit.

As the sun began to set and the practice ground started to empty, Abhishek found himself feeling grateful for these moments. The camaraderie, the laughter, the relentless teasing—it was all part of what made this team special. And maybe, just maybe, the presence of a certain fiery doctor added a spark that made everything even more interesting.