He is witty, he is smart, he is one of the most talented and explosive batsmen to have ever played for team India, he is Virender Sehwag, who is known for his fearless batting at the top of the order. He is a two-time triple centurion in Tests and one-time double centurion in ODI, Sehwag redefined the way the game of cricket is played.
He is one of the most loved cricketers in India. However, there are many things about him, which are still unknown to fans.
Here, we bring you a list of 10 lesser-known facts about Virender Sehwag, have a look:
1. Love for cricket began when he was only 7 months old:
Virender Sehwag, who was born in a jat family to a grain merchant father, reportedly developed an interest in cricket when he was only 7 months old after he was gifted a toy bat. Later, with him, his interest in cricket also grew up and he convinced his parents to allow him to play the game as he wasn’t inclined towards studies.
2. Childhood ban on cricket:
Virender Sehwag was banned from playing cricket by his father when he was only 12 years old. This was because Virender Sehwag broke a tooth during a cricket match. However, with the help of his mother, Virender Sehwag was able to lift the ban.
3. Sachin’s clone:
Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag are regarded as one of the most dynamic and destructive openers around the world. They used to give the bowlers a run for their money with their amazing partnership.
However, back then when Virender Sehwag entered into the international scene of cricket, he had the same build as the master-blaster and used to play some of the same shots, so much so that he was called a ‘clone’ of Sachin Tendulkar.
But who knew that this ‘clone’ would surpass the ‘master blaster’.
During an ODI inning, Sachin Tendulkar scored 200 not out and Sehwag went on to score 219, leaving everyone including the opposition shocked. In fact, Virender Sehwag has scored two triple centuries, this is something which Sachin Tendulkar is yet to achieve.
4. Sehwag’s first controversy:
Virender Sehwag was handed a one-Test ban for showing dissent and trying to intimidate the umpire. Well, this incident took place in only his second Test match. Besides him, 6 other Indian players were penalized by the match referee Mike Denness during the Port Elizabeth Test. Later, BCCI termed the decision as ‘biased’.
5. Multan Ka Sultan:
Virender Sehwag is fondly called as Nazafgarh ka Nawab and Multan Ka Sultan for his on-field heroics. Well, during India’s historic tour of Pakistan in April 2004, Virender Sehwag became India’s first-ever triple-centurion in Test cricket in Multan. His powerful 309 run came almost after his nine-hour stay at the wicket and helped team India win the first test match by a margin of an innings. This was the moment when he earned the title of Multan Ka Sultan.
6. No. 1 Test batsman in the world:
Virender Sehwag’s 174 balls 165 helped team India win the Test match against South Africa by a margin of an innings in December 2010. During the process, Virender Sehwag became the No. 1 Test batsman in the world. Before that in March 2009, Virender Sehwag blasted a 60-ball hundred against New Zealand and became the fastest Indian to score an ODI hundred. His record was broken by Virat Kohli later on.
Talking more about his records, Sehwag even smashed six boundaries in an over during the Indian Oil Cup final in 2006.
7. The Singing Assassin:
Now many are aware of the fact that Virender Sehwag used to start his innings by singing songs. Whenever he was in middle, he used to sing and get the rhythm and lines of the songs right and he would automatically create magic with his bat as well. Once in an interview, he had revealed that “When I take guard, I like to clear all the negative thoughts out of the mind first. That I do by singing a song or a bhajan [hymn].”
8. Getting dropped from the team and a stunning comeback later on:
Virender Sehwag, who is regarded as one of the most selfless Indian cricketers, was dropped from the Indian test squad after his mediocre performances and was left out for almost a year.
However, he made an unexpected comeback in 2007. Sehwag scored 151 in his second innings at Adelaide and helped team India win the match and from thereon, there were no turning backs.
9. The Fall:
Virender Sehwag played only 10 odd games after his miraculous effort in Indore and he eventually played his last ODI match in January 2013. He played his last test match in March 2013.
10. “Baap baap hota hai, beta beta hota hai”
Well, this is exactly what Virender Sehwag told Shoaib Akhtar after Sachin hooked him for a six. This happened, during an India vs Pakistan match when he was batting close to 200 with Sachin Tendulkar on the other side.
Sehwag revealed that Shoaib Akhtar was probably tired after bowling for so long and thus he came around the wicket and started to bowl plenty of bouncers and asked Sehwag to hit the pull shot.
Reacting to this, Sehwag warned Akhtar to say the same thing to Sachin Tendulkar. In the next delivery, when he bowled a bouncer to Sachin Tendulkar, he smashed it for a six. To which, Virender Sehwag said to Shoaib Akhtar “Baap baap hota hai, beta beta hota hai”
