India, Dec. 14 -- So many were convinced that Prithvi Shaw had the goods to come good that there was never any doubt. An instant hit on the international stage with a maiden Test hundred on debut aged 18, Shaw had chosen cricket over studies and it was paying him back. Or so it seemed.

It was a very different story for Venkatesh Iyer, four years older than Shaw. The Indore-born was grappling with a career decision, whether to take up a finance job at Deloitte or pursue a sports career. The all-rounder chose cricket and went on to make his first-class debut for Madhya Pradesh in 2018, the year Shaw led the U19 team to World Cup triumph. Cricket though would pay Iyer back much later.

Their divergent career paths and how things transpired ...