It must have taken Tilak Varma, all of 22 years old and with just one half-century in his preceding 15 innings, loads of courage to walk up to his captain and ask for the No. 3 position occupied with such distinction by the No. 1 T20I batter in the world.

But such is the culture within Indian teams across formats that the left-hander from Hyderabad thought little of approaching Suryakumar Yadav in Centurion last November, seeking a promotion in the third of four games against South Africa.

Suryakumar would have been well within his rights to turn that request down, but that’s not how leaders conduct themselves. Secure in his space and eager to give his young charges the best opportunity to be the best version of themselves, he readily agreed to that request – much like Rohit Sharma and R

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