Akash Madhwal’s fresh-faced enthusiasm is hard to miss, infectious almost. Few cricketers have displayed enjoyment on the field more vividly than the 29-year-old engineer from Roorkee, clearly having the time of his life.

Belatedly included in the squad last season, the one-time tennis ball exponent had to bide his time this year but in the small matter of seven matches, he has established himself as Rohit Sharma’s go-to man, capable of picking up wickets with the new ball and a master at nailing the yorkers with pinpoint accuracy.