Ishan Kishan

"From Patna and playing for neighbours Jharkhand, he was one of the thousand kids of the region and generation who dreamt the great Dhoni dream, and one of the few to realise the dream of playing for his country. A left-handed batsman with strenuous power that his slim frame conceals, he is one of the most explosive batsmen in the world. Nicknamed chhota dynamite, he can explode in the blink of an eye and wreak havoc (every sixth ball he faces is a boundary). Forthright aggression has sometimes backfired too, but he has of late managed to be more judicious, resulting invariably in consistent contributions. Depending on the length, he could clear his front leg for the slog-sweep, swivel for the pull, or move across for lashing cuts. He also straddles roles, could be the pinch-hitting opener or the finisher down the order, he could play as a specialist batsman, or as a wicketkeeper-batsman, giving his side balance and flexibility. He can destroy seamers, he could devastate spinners. That he is still marching towards his peak describes the immense talent he possesses. If he can better or sustain the average of 46 and strike rate of 107 over the course of his career, he can reach closer to the rarefied space his idol inhabits.

One-day memory: (93 against South Africa at Ranchi, 2022)

He has a double hundred to his name, but the 93 against Kagiso Rabada and Co, his parents and idol watching from the stands, was a more memorable one. Chasing 279, India were 48 for 2 at one stage. But Kishan counterattacked and reversed the momentum with bewildering stroke-making. A pick-up six off Anrich Nortje, one of the fastest and fiercest bowlers in the world, highlighted a highlights reel that induces wows and gasps.

One more thing: He loves to ink his body, and has as many as five tattoos. The favourite is that of a Roman god on his left forearm. There is another he reads every day, the one on his chest. “Trust your struggles”."