Book Review: The Game of Choices: Khaayega Ya Lagayega?

There’s something about books that lift the curtain on the underbelly of things we’ve grown up idolising. Cricket, for instance — for most of us in India, it’s never just a sport. It’s emotion, memory, national pride, childhood nostalgia, and even identity. That’s precisely why The Game of Choices: Khaayega Ya Lagayega? by Anish Kumar hits so hard. It doesn’t take the front-row seat with the fans in blue. It pulls you behind the scenes, into the dark alleys of betting, manipulation, and money trails — the side of the game nobody wants to talk about, but everyone somewhere knows exists.

Set between two of Indian cricket’s most defining victories — the 2007 T20 and 2011 ODI World Cups — this novel doesn’t attempt to rewrite the fairy tale. It questions what happens in the shadows while the world celebrates on the surface. And through its protagonist Sunny, a young man drawn into the world of illegal betting, we get a peek into a world that’s murky, tempting, and often heartbreaking.

Sunny isn’t a villain. He’s not your typical flawed anti-hero either. He’s a character you’ll feel torn about — someone who doesn’t come from privilege but dreams big. He’s the boy next door, the one who’s smart enough to know right from wrong but gets pulled into a system so powerful and complex that choice starts becoming a luxury. And what makes his journey compelling is that he doesn’t fall in one big swoop. It’s gradual. One decision at a time. One compromise. One justification. One moment of need turning into a habit.

The book does a good job of showing us the ‘how’ of it all — how betting rings operate, how bookies work, how odds are fixed, and how the psychology of addiction takes root. It doesn’t romanticise or glorify the process. It shows the adrenaline, yes, but it also shows the eventual hollowness. There’s a lot of ground Anish Kumar covers here, but the pacing doesn’t feel rushed. It’s easy to follow, even for someone who’s never really followed cricket betting, and that says a lot about the clarity of thought in the writing.

What also stands out is the book’s use of multimedia — not just as gimmickry but as an extension of the reading experience. There’s a Spotify playlist that matches the emotional beats of the narrative, and an animated web series that unpacks key themes for those who prefer a visual companion. For the kind of story The Game of Choices tells, this layering makes sense. It makes you pause, reflect, and absorb more deeply. The music, in particular, is atmospheric and often acts like a soundtrack to the emotion of a chapter. That said, the story itself holds its own — even if you skip the extras.

The real strength of the novel, though, is its emotional core. It’s not just a story of a boy getting pulled into crime. It’s also about what he loses in the process. There’s Sanjana — his childhood friend and moral anchor — whose role, though subtle, adds warmth and a sliver of hope to an otherwise gritty tale. Their relationship isn’t romanticised. It’s awkward, tender, familiar. She doesn’t try to save him, but she reminds him of the version of himself he’s trying not to forget. I did wish she had more space in the story, though — there’s a lot about her we never really get to know. And in a book that explores the cost of ambition and betrayal, her voice could’ve added another emotional layer.

Then there’s Devendra — the shrewd manipulator who embodies the world Sunny enters — and Ravi, a tragic figure that reminds you of the emotional wreckage this industry leaves behind. Through them, Anish paints a haunting picture of how fragile trust is in this world. How one wrong move, one broken deal, can collapse entire empires built on bluff and bravado. The dynamics between the characters are sharp, and the dialogue feels natural — never overly theatrical, which is refreshing.

Anish Kumar’s writing isn’t trying to be literary for the sake of it. It’s clear, direct, and honest. And that works perfectly for a book like this. You don’t want frills when the subject matter is this real. The betting world is already layered — morally and psychologically. What the book does well is peel those layers without trying to sound clever. The emotions are raw. The choices are messy. And the consequences are often irreversible.

The tone of the novel — for most parts — remains taut, but it never turns into a lecture. There’s no glorification of crime, no sermon on morality. It simply shows what happens when the line between ambition and desperation begins to blur. And in that sense, The Game of Choices is more than a cricket-betting thriller. It’s a story about temptation, about survival, about how every decision we make shapes who we become — sometimes without us even realising it.

What I appreciated most is how grounded the storytelling feels. The settings are familiar — small towns, college campuses, bustling streets, and quiet rooftops. You can feel the heat, hear the background commentary on TV, imagine the WhatsApp pings of last-minute betting odds. It's all real and textured. And as someone who reads a lot of sports fiction, I can say this book manages to do something rare — it makes the system understandable without dumbing it down.

Are there flaws? A few. Some parts could have used tighter editing. A couple of characters are introduced but not explored deeply…but these are minor gripes. The core of the story stays intact. The emotional truth never wavers.

In conclusion, The Game of Choices is one of those books that definitely stays with you. It’s timely, original, and gutsy. It doesn’t just tell a story — it forces you to ask uncomfortable questions. About the cost of success. About the blurred boundaries between right and wrong. About who pays the price when choices are made behind closed doors.

If you love reading books that dive into the grey areas of human behaviour, if you enjoy stories that blend real-world issues with emotionally grounded characters, and if you’re someone who has grown up watching cricket but always suspected there was more going on behind the screen — pick this up. It’ll shake you up in parts. It’ll make you angry. It might even make you nostalgic. But more than anything else, it’ll make you think.

Book: The Game of Choices: Khaayega Ya Lagayega

Author- Anish Kumar

Publisher: Thomson Press India Ltd.

Purchase link: The Game of Choices: Khaayega Ya Lagayega? on Amazon India