A story about cricket, but not about cricket. Selection Day is a coming of age story about two brothers whose father has reared them to be professional cricketers. We see their challenges and identity crises as they face virtually impossible odds to be chosen for the Under-19 cricket team by the selectors. Will the elder brother Radha be chosen since his father made a deal with Lord Subramanya (cricket god) to bestow his son with the title of best cricketer? Will the younger Manju overshadow his brother's talent and be chosen? Will the selectors pick both or them? Neither? Does either brother even really want to play cricket or is this their father's ambition that's being thrust upon them?

But in this novel Aravind Adiga asks more important questions: when you spend your life pursuing one goal, what happens if you don't get it? What happens if you do? Who are you when you spend your entire life preparing for something that you're not sure that you want?