Shreyas Iyer — from losing a central contract to becoming the central figure

Every cricketer who plays for their country aspires to be the captain. Some of them know very early in their careers that they may not be cut out for that role, though they will still secretly hope for a miracle that thrusts them into the hot seat. A few might miss out because of the presence of other equally competent individuals, and the luck of the draw might not favour them — as it happened with the Hyderabad duo of M.L. Jaisimha and V.V.S. Laxman, two of the best tacticians and man-managers never to have led India.

And then, there are others on whom captaincy comes calling, as if it were their destiny. Like Shreyas Iyer, the latest such example.