A cricket team, it’s often said with good reason, assumes the character of its captain. Unlike most other sports where captaincy is often a ceremonial position and is generally conferred on the best or the seniormost player, cricket places monumental demands on the skipper, who must be a leader too in every sense of the term.

Indian cricket has been fortunate that since the turn of the millennium, it has identified and nurtured a string of individuals who have gone on to lead the national team with great distinction. Sourav Ganguly encouraged players to express themselves and facilitated the influx of an entire generation of highly skilled youngsters. Under Rahul Dravid, India learned to win overseas. Mahendra Singh Dhoni emerged as the surprise package, a punt by the Dilip Vengsarkar-led selection panel in 2007 giving the country its most successful skipper in terms of global trophies won.