Playing the Field

Mumbai had always felt familiar to Kavya — in the way that airports felt familiar to frequent flyers.

She had worked in the Wankhede press boxes. Directed content from dugouts. Run post-match interviews in corridors lined with sweat and adrenaline.

But this night was different.

Because tonight, she walked in not holding a press pass.
No DSLR. No headset. No clipboard.

Just a VIP band on her wrist and Shubman’s navy blue jersey tucked casually into her jeans.

No media tag.
No title.
Just his.

Tina had texted her an hour ago:

“About time you showed up for something just for you. You deserve this version of him.”

Gujarat Titans won the toss.

Kavya found her seat in the front row, shielded a little by the dugout. She kept her head low as fans shouted Shubman’s name — more from habit than worry. But her eyes found him immediately as he walked in to bat.

He looked electric under the floodlights.

Focused. Powerful. Calm.

And when the camera panned to the crowd, she saw her face flash briefly on the screen. Just a second. Just enough.

In the next over, Shubman pulled a bouncer for six, then adjusted his helmet… and looked toward her side of the stands.

Their eyes met.

A flicker.

Nothing dramatic.

But she knew he saw her.

Fifty came and went.

The cheers around Wankhede were deafening — even Mumbai Indians fans stood to clap.

But the only thing Shubman did differently?

He tapped his helmet, raised his bat…

…and did a tiny salute in her direction.
It was a joke from their kitchen one morning.
She laughed into her scarf, hands shaking slightly.

This wasn’t PR.
This wasn’t fake dating.
This was everything they’d never posted.

It was a thriller — GT won with 2 balls to spare.

Shubman wasn’t just captain; he was Player of the Match again.
The stadium roared with “Gill! Gill! Gill!” as fireworks lit up Marine Drive in the distance.

Kavya stood in the shadows while the team celebrated. She didn’t step into the media frenzy.

But he found her anyway.

Still in his pads, adrenaline rushing through him, medal bouncing against his chest — he jogged across the dugout to her.

No words.

Just his hand reaching for hers, warm and certain.

“You showed up,” he said, forehead touching hers, sweaty and soft at once.

“You made it impossible not to.”

Photos from fans flooded social media that night:

📸 Shubman Gill, post-match, holding hands with Girlfriend Kavya Singh in the crowd.

📸 That forehead touch moment.

📸 Kavya laughing as Shubman hands her his Player of the Match medal for safekeeping.

And then the stories began:

@CricketNation: “Is that Kavya Singh? The former BCCI content strategist? 👀”

@Siraj’s Insta Story: A blurry photo of them walking away. Caption:
“No captions. Just finally real.”