It was a hot and humid afternoon at the practice grounds. Shubman was in the middle of a grueling batting session, sweat dripping down his brow as he focused on the ball, trying to perfect his shot. 

The sound of the bat striking the ball echoed in the air as he followed through with another clean hit. He glanced around at his teammates, all of whom were equally focused on their drills.

Virat was standing at the nets, working on his timing. Ishan was busy fielding, and KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer were having a batting duel on the other side. 

Hardik was running through his fitness drills, while Abhishek, Rinku, and Yashasvi were discussing tactics. The rest of the team was scattered, each immersed in their respective practice routines.

Shubman paused for a moment to take a sip of water, wiping his face with the towel. As he bent down to grab his bag for a quick snack, his hand brushed against something unexpected. 

A small folded piece of paper tucked neatly inside the side pocket of his gear bag.

He froze for a moment, confusion clouding his features. He didn't remember putting anything in there. But before he could think too much about it, curiosity got the better of him. He pulled the note out carefully, opening it up with one hand.

It was from Kamari.

He smiled softly, his heartwarming as he read the message.

"Hey, you big goof! I know you're working hard today, but don't forget to take a break and smile once in a while. I'm so proud of you. You're doing great—go kick some ass out there! Love, Kamari 💕"

A rush of warmth flooded through him. The sweet, simple message made his heart race. He hadn't expected anything like this in the middle of a tough training day. 

As he stood there, looking at the note in his hands, he felt a blush creeping up his neck. He could hear the boys in the background, but at that moment, all he could think about was Kamari.

Virat noticed Shubman's distracted smile and approached him, eyebrow raised. "What's got you grinning like a schoolboy, Shubman?" he teased, flicking his bat casually against the ground.

Shubman quickly stuffed the note back into his bag, his face turning an even deeper shade of red. "Nothing," he muttered, trying to hide his reaction. 

"Just... just tired. You know, the usual."

KL Rahul, who had been listening in from a distance, joined in with a grin. "Tired? Or are you getting love letters in your bag now, bro?" he joked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Shubman shot him a look, rolling his eyes but failing to suppress the smile that was still tugging at his lips. 

"Shut up," he muttered, his heart still racing. "It's nothing."

But the teasing didn't stop there.

Abhishek Sharma and Shreyas Iyer were quick to catch on, and they smirked as they walked over. 

"What's this? Love notes from someone special?" Abhishek asked with a wink, clearly entertained by Shubman's flustered state.

"Must be a pretty cute note," Shreyas added with a playful nudge. "I don't think I've ever seen you blush this much, Shubman. Who's the lucky girl?"

Shubman cursed under his breath, looking around at the group of boys surrounding him, all grinning mischievously. 

"It's nothing, guys. Just a note from Kamari," he said, trying to sound casual, but his voice gave away just how much it meant to him.

The boys erupted into teasing laughter, and even Virat couldn't help but chuckle. "Kamari, huh? You've got yourself a keeper, Shubman," he said, clapping him on the shoulder. 

"But don't let her spoil you too much. You're supposed to be working hard, not getting distracted by cute notes."

Shubman's blush deepened, and he quickly turned away to focus on his next shot, desperate to redirect the attention. 

"Alright, enough," he said, trying to shake off the teasing. "Let's get back to work. No more love talk."

But his teammates were relentless.

Hardik strolled over, tossing his towel over his shoulder. "Hey, no shame in a little distraction from the beautiful woman in your life," he said, giving Shubman a knowing look. 

"You're a lucky man. It's cute to see you so whipped."

Shubman groaned, his embarrassment now palpable. "I'm not whipped!" he protested, but his red face told a different story. "Just... just let me play, alright?"

As he returned to his spot in the nets, the teasing didn't stop. Every few minutes, one of the guys would make a comment about his "secret admirer," and it only made him blush more. 

But deep down, Shubman couldn't help but feel grateful. He loved how Kamari always knew how to make his day, no matter how exhausting or tough it was.

As he faced the bowler again, he glanced at his gear bag, the note still hidden inside. A smile tugged at his lips, and for a moment, he felt like the luckiest guy in the world. 

Even surrounded by his loud and teasing teammates, he knew he had something special waiting for him at the end of the day.

And that was enough to keep him going through the hardest of training sessions.

soup rants!

so we have our sixteenth chapter!

them >

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