There was always the geometric incision to Ajay Jayaram’s strokes when he played on the court, and a bunch of cerebral hoodwinks calculated to wrong-foot opponents. But even he was surprised with how much he loved Math. Winding down his career over the European swing of badminton events last autumn, Ajay carried books with his kitbag, and in a matter of few months of prep, was giving his GMAT.

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