Harsha: You're a man of few words. So is Sunil Narine, your bowling partner. So how do you two communicate, mostly?"

VC (without a moment's hesitation): Silence!

***

KKR's mystery-spin twins had several brands of silence.

One that was reserved for when they were bowling in tandem. They always did bowl in tandem in the middle overs and wind a stranglehold around their opposition; it had been five years now.

Five years, and they could read each other's plans really well.

(Though even in 2020, it was not like they used to talk much.)

Usually, Narine would be the one opening spin in the last over of the Powerplay. He'd get an idea of the pitch, and at the end of the over, while VC would be gearing up to take his run up, Narine would catch his eyes from short third and nod.

VC would nod back.

You wouldn't know, but they'd just exchanged the pattern of roughs in the pitch from Narine's end.

At some point, when VC would be setting up a batsman, Narine would nod again. From short third. VC would tilt his head in acknowledgement.

Salty would be gawking from his keeper's position, clueless.

'I know you're setting him up and I know the top edge will bring the ball to me and I will try my best not to drop it,' Narine had conveyed.

'All my best wishes,' VC had replied. 'You may have to take a couple of steps back. Ready?'

'Ready.'

Then Narine would have, going by the previous four seasons, dropped the catches. VC would have looked at him stoically.

'I cannot blame you, 'cause I'd have done the same,' the look would say.

This season, though, some sort of magic was going on. Narine took catch after catch at short third off VC's bowling. Amidst the celebration, where Venky would be shouting, and Russell would be teasing, VC gave Narine a bland smile.

'Unexpected, but great,' that would say. 'Don't raise the standards, though.'

'GG is here.' Narine would return a twitch of his lips. 'The bar has already been raised.'

__________________

Another of their brands of silence was when there was actually no need to talk at all. Like during rain interruptions. Narine would slip into the seat beside VC, or vice versa, because that was the only place where they'd find peace.

Or not.

The KKR vs RR match in Guwahati was steadily being delayed due to persisting rain. KKR had already qualified, as table toppers, no less, so they didn't really have anything to worry about even if the match did get washed away.

And Venky, for one, could not keep still.

When could he ever? VC wondered with a hint of irony.

After he'd finished driving ten nails in the handle of his kitbag ("Why do you need nails on your kitbag?" Starcy had asked with genuine curiosity, to which Venky said, "Might come handy"), he descended upon VC and Narine lounging peacefully in their corner.

"Hey, what's up, guys?"

"Nothing, really," said VC in a truthful monotone.

"Want to drive some nails?"

"I think I will pass that one," said VC.

Venky actually looked disappointed, like he'd hoped for a yes. He turned to Narine, who backed away.

"I too think I will pass that one," said Narine solemnly.

"Why?" Venky complained. "It's not like you have anything better to do, you're just sitting and staring at the rain in the stadium, and even that you can't see too properly since the glasses are half-frosted, and it's not like we've had dearth of rain lately, we spent eight hours up in the clouds since it was raining, remember?"

VC and Narine were relieved that Dre's arrival made Venky pause to take breath.

"Wasn't something you can forget," Dre said.

"D'you want to drive nails into your kitbag, Dre?" Venky asked, brightening.

"What's their purpose?"

"Oh, all sorts--after we win the title, we'd hang purple streamers on them, so when we're wheeling our kitbags through the Kolkata airport, it'll give off a brilliant vibe--"

"--and if we can get enough of 'em we could hang our jerseys there to dry after we've returned from the field," continued Dre, "or a towel during practice--it would be much more accessible than having to dig it out of the kitbag--"

"Yes, yes!"

"Great idea, c'mon!"

Once Venky and Russ had bounded over to get the hammer and the nails and were out of earshot, Narine and VC looked at each other and exchanged a brief nod and turned back, hunched, to gaze at the rain in the stadium.

"How do you think a person can talk that much?" VC asked.

Narine nodded again. VC gave a bland smile.

"I wouldn't complain," said Narine. "Saves us the bother."

"Um..." said VC. "Our ears..."

"Can't do anything about that," said Narine gravely. "That's why I prefer Gauti's company, you know. He only talks necessary words."

____________________

He only talks necessary words.

In hindsight, after they'd won the final, VC would disagree with Narine.

He wasn't sure if GG's constant chant of 'We won, Sunny, we won, Sunny, we won, Sunny, after ten years, after ten years, after ten years,' counted as necessary words.

And look at Narine, too, lifting GG up and laughing and shrieking his head off, and occasionally echoing, "After ten years!"

VC was almost disappointed. With Venky yelling into his ears as usual, and Raman's voice that was now a croak still trying to scream, and Dre Russ bawling his eyes out--and Shreyas and Nitish and Rinku and Saachi dancing, and Harshit spinning Vaibhav round and round, and Angky thrusting his phone into everyone's faces with Salty on video call, also yelling...

With Narine's hooliganism, VC had effectively lost the only person who could join him in a sane celebration. Like smile a little, cheer a little. Walk, instead of dance. Talk, instead of shout.

Till Narine was done with his hooliganism and caught up with VC, who was discreetly trying to cover his ears which was impossible since Venky had a vice-like grip on his arm.

"Nice day, isn't it?" Narine asked VC, quiet and sober.

VC nodded.

Narine nodded back.

They smiled at each other.

And that was their last brand of silence, discovered for the first time on the 26th of May, 2024.

Smile quietly with just a hint of tears in their eyes as their purple and golden team, yelling fit to raise the dead, lifted the elusive trophy after ten years.