Arshad, when he hears his name, just breaks into this huge grin. Like a lightbulb went off in his face. White teeth fshing, you know the drill. “Ready to bring the heat, Captain!” he yells out, flexing his arm like he’s some kind of superhero. Dude’s got mad energy, I’ll give him that. His enthusiasm is kinda contagious, even if sometimes his shot choices are… questionable. Let’s just say “ambitious” is a nice way to put it. Sometimes you’re like, “Bro, what are you DOING?!” but hey, he’s hyped.

  “Small Forward – Sajid.”

  Sajid just nods, real short and sharp, you know? Like bam. His usual smirk? Gone. Repced with this super focused look. Dude was all business all of a sudden. He takes his role seriously, for real. His speed and how quick he is? Totally key for getting the ball down the court and scoring. Offensive transitions? That's all Sajid, no cap.

  “Power Forward – Tariq.”

  Tariq, who’s usually super chill and low-key, just nods. Like, barely moves. But you can tell he’s locked in. Quiet but powerful, you know? He's like the team's secret weapon, the silent but deadly type. Reliable AF and built like a tank. Tariq in the paint? Forget about it. He’s the anchor, holding it down. Under the basket? Good luck getting past him. Straight up beast mode.

  “Center – Robi.”

  Robi, Mr. Gentle Giant himself, just kinda shifts his weight a little. Like a small earthquake, but chill. This quiet rumble comes from him, like a low growl, but in a friendly way? Hard to expin. Anyway, Robi's rebounding skills? Legendary. Seriously, people talk about them in hushed whispers in the hallways of Banani High. His size? Let’s just say it’s a significant advantage. Understatement of the century.

  Okay, so far, totally predictable vibes. Like, yawn. This was basically the OG starting five, the usual suspects. The core squad that’s been pying together since, like, forever. The team members are all exchanging looks, you know the ones – like, “Yeah, yeah, we know this drill.” This was comfy territory. Familiar faces, familiar pys, familiar wins (hopefully).

  Then Kiyoshi, Mr. Captain Dramatic, pauses again. But this time, he’s got this little smile pying on his lips. Like he’s got a secret or something. “And now,” he says, drawing it out for extra suspense, “for our key pyer off the bench… who’s gonna have a significant role in this game…” Dramatic pause again. “James.”

  Record scratch. Hold up. James? Seriously? You could feel this ripple of surprise go through the whole room. Way bigger than before. ‘James?’ The name just hung there in the air, like a giant question mark with legs. Everyone’s thinking the same thing: James? Dude hasn’t even been warming the bench most games, let alone getting called out as a ‘key pyer’. This was… unexpected, to say the least. Major plot twist vibes.

  Chandan, who was leaning all cool-like against the wall, just raised an eyebrow so high it almost disappeared into his hairline. He exchanged this look with Nabil, who was standing next to him, and Nabil's face was just a mirror image of pure, unadulterated "huh?". Like, they were both communicating telepathically with just their eyebrows, saying "Wait, James? Seriously, are we being punked right now?".