#525 - The Siege of Cricket

by Ramendra Kumar

“The Siege of Cricket” by Ramendra Kumar. Published by Readomania. A thrilling adventure of a lifetime of four teenagers who need to save the gentleman’s game from being tainted and destroyed.

The game of cricket is in jeopardy. Faraaz Sikandar, an over ambitious media magnate, is plotting to make plenty of money by controlling the sport and making it the most sought after in the world. He is planning to organise a private championship called Cricket Unplugged in a tiny island in the Indian Ocean called Inayat. The island is ruled by a dictator who is developing the infrastructure there to host the tournament. A respected commentator, a popular anchor and the dashing captain of Indian cricket team have been roped in.

Sikandar’s intention is to mastermind and fix all matches played through a network of savvy people appointed by him. He wants to have absolute control over the game and become the richest man in the world. A set of teenagers from Hyderabad (Nisha, Karan, Sameer and Mike) who are friends and call themselves Fundu Four come to know of this devious plan. They are not going to keep quiet and let the spirit of the game get murdered. The mission is risky and leads them to the exotic island of Inayat. They are up against vices like ruthless ambition, deceit, greed, kidnapping threats and murder. Can they rescue the game and foil the plan of Sikandar and his gang? Read the book to know how the Fundu Four go on an incredible adventure to save the integrity of the sport that is loved by so many people.

The plot was thick with action and filled with twists and turns at every stage. The antics of the Fundu Four were filled with humour and adventure. My 9.5 year old cricket crazy son and I had a delightful roller coaster of a ride as we delved into the story. The engrossing narrative and mystery till the end were such a delight for us. The bonding between the fundu four and the way they tackled their mission was something we loved and cheered for. There were quite a few surprises in store even towards the end of the story which were quite unexpected making it a nail biting thriller :) There were quite a few Hindi and Hinglish words used to add an authentic regional touch to the story. These were explained at the end in the glossary. My son ensured that the book was read within 2-3 sittings and thoroughly enjoyed the story. We discussed about betting, bookies and match fixing which were relatively new topics for him.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 10/11 and above.

Where to buy from?

The publishers Readomania here.