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The lucky eight were Suraj, Dilkhush, Sumit, Uttam, Vishal, Vikas, Manohar — and Adarsh Bunkar from Class 10, who gave us a wonderful recap of the entire experience. They were accompanied by Prahlad Sir and Mohan Prakash Sir.

“I reached school at 9 AM out of excitement – even though the match was in the evening!”

That’s how Adarsh described the anticipation. The group set out from the campus around 3 PM, stopped briefly at Kunda for some refreshing papaya shakes and ice creams, and then headed straight to the stadium. After reaching around 5 PM, the kids were treated to a pre-match snack — bananas, oranges, pyaz ki kachori, and sweet aam ki gunji. It was the perfect combo to get them match-ready. 

Just when they thought things couldn’t get any better, Prahlad Sir and Mohan Sir handed out Rajasthan Royals jerseys. “The moment we wore them, we felt like we were part of the team,” said Adarsh. They looked so united and enthusiastic that they caught the attention of YouTubers and even Dainik Bhaskar journalists! One YouTuber quizzed them on IPL trivia — and they nailed it, winning a ₹100 reward on the spot. Once inside the stadium, the real fun began. The kids met Hitesh Sir and Kartikey Sir, which made the evening even more special. Together, they danced, laughed, and filled the air with energetic chants like “Halla Bol!”, “Dal Baati Churma – Rajasthani Surma!”, and “We want sixer!”

They got a chance to cheer for and wave at players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, David Miller, Aiden Markram, and Jofra Archer. Some players even acknowledged them with a wave. And for many of the children, it was the first time they realized that bowling happens from both ends of the pitch!

The Final Overs and A Life Lesson

Before the final overs set our hearts racing, we made sure our little Royals were fuelled with popcorn, samosas, and wide smiles. Although Rajasthan Royals lost by just 2 runs, the kids watched their heroes give it their all. “We learned that winning and losing are both part of the game,” wrote Adarsh. They missed Mohan Sir inside the stadium but knew this unforgettable experience was all thanks to him. Quote from Adarsh: "Match mein bahut maza aaya. Humne bahut enjoy kiya. Ek international player banne ke liye kitni mehnat karni padti hai, yeh samajh aaya. Mohan Sir, aapka bahut-bahut dhanyavaad jo aapne humara yeh sapna poora kiya." - he said, as he referred specifically to MR MOHAN KRIPALANI from UK - an avid cricket enthusiast and long-time supporter of Vatsalya - who made this evening possible. As the children walked out of the stadium, tired but glowing with happiness, they knew they had just lived a once-in-a-lifetime moment. And after the match, as excitement lingered in the air, a warm dinner on the way back was the "perfect ending to a day none of us will ever forget", as quoted by Dilkhush. (All thanks to the efforts and thoughtfulness of their mentors.)

Let’s continue supporting the future generation, dreaming big with them, and cheering them on — just like they cheered for their team!

Halla Bol!!