Virender Sehwag is an Indian cricketer known for winning many matches for India with his aggressive batting. He is considered one of the best openers in the world in all formats of cricket. He was a member of the Indian team which won the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup. He is the only Indian batsman to hit two triple centuries in tests.
Wiki/Biography
Virender Sehwag was born on Friday, 20 October 1978 (age 44 years; as of 2022) in Najafgarh, Delhi, India. His zodiac sign is Libra. He showed interest in cricket when his father gave him a cricket bat when he was just seven months old. He completed his schooling at Arora Vidya School and Vikaspuri G Block Government Boys Senior Secondary School in Delhi. He was not very good at studies, hence, he persuaded his parents to allow him to play cricket. His father did not want him to pursue cricket; however, his mother supported him. He started training at the age of 14 at Government Boys School ground at Vikas Puri in West Delhi in 1993 under the coach Amar Nath Sharma. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Jamia Millia Islamia University which he completed in 2001.
Virender Sehwag in his mother’s lap
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 7″
Weight (approx.): 70 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
He was born into a Haryanvi Jat family.
Parents & Siblings
His father’s name is Krishan Sehwag, and his mother’s name is Krishna Sehwag. His father was a merchant who dealt with farm seed, wheat, and rice, and his mother is a housewife. He has 2 sisters named Anju Sehwag and Manju Sehwag and a younger brother named Vinod Sehwag. Anju was a member of the Congress party and joined Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on 31 December 2021.
Virender Sehwag’s father, Krishan Sehwag
Virender Sehwag with his mother, Krishna Sehwag
Virender Sehwag with his sisters, Manju Sehwag (extreme left) and Anju Sehwag
Virender Sehwag’s brother, Vinod Sehwag, with his wife
Wife & Children
He got married to Aarti Ahlawat on 22 April 2004 at a grand function at the residence of Arun Jaitley, the then Union law minister of India. They have two sons named Aryaveer, born on 18 October 2007, and Vedant, born in 2010. His son Aaryaveer was selected for the Delhi under-16 team for Vijay Merchant Trophy in December 2022.
Virender Sehwag with his wife Aarti Sehwag and sons, Aaryaveer (extreme left) and Vedant (extreme right)
Religion
He follows Hinduism.
Address
His address is X-12, Hauz Khas, New Delhi – 110016.
Signature
Career
Domestic
Virender Sehwag made his debut in first-class cricket in 1997-98 for the Delhi team. In the 1998-99 season, he was selected for the North Zone cricket team in Duleep Trophy, and he emerged as the fifth-highest runscorer in that tournament. In the 1999-2000 season, he again scored the fourth-highest number of runs in the Duleep Trophy which included the highest score in the tournament of 274 runs against South Zone. In the 2000-01 Duleep Trophy, he came seventh on the list of highest runscorers. He led the North Zone to win Deodhar Trophy in the 2004-05 and the 2005-06 seasons. He played from Delhi till 2014 and played for the Haryana team in the 2015 season.
Virender Sehwag playing for Delhi
Under-19
He was a member of the under-19 team which toured South Africa in 1998 for the Junior World Cup.
International
Test
Virender Sehwag made his test debut on 3 November 2001 against South Africa at Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein and scored 105 runs in the first inning of the match. In August 2002, he scored 106 runs in the first inning of the test match against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. In October 2002, he scored 147 runs in the first inning of the test match against West Indies at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. In October 2003, he scored 130 runs in the first inning of the test match against New Zealand at IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh. In December 2003, he scored 195 runs in the first inning of the test match against Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne. In March 2004, he scored 309 runs in the first inning of the test match against Pakistan at Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan. In October 2004, he scored 155 runs in the first inning of the test match against Australia at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. In November 2004, he scored 164 runs in the first inning of the test match against South Africa at Green Park, Kanpur. In March 2005, he scored 173 runs in the first inning of the test against Pakistan at IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali and scored 201 runs in the first inning of the test match against Pakistan at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. In January 2005, he scored 254 runs in the first inning of the test match against Pakistan at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. In June 2006, he scored 180 runs in the first inning of the test match against West Indies at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia. In January 2008, he scored 151 runs in the second inning of the test match against Australia at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. In March 2008, he scored 319 runs in the first inning of the test match against South Africa at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. In July 2008, he scored 201 runs not out in the first inning of the test match against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium, Galle. In October 2008, he took 5 wickets for 114 runs in the first inning of the test against Australia at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. In November 2009, he scored 131 runs in the first inning of the test match against Sri Lanka at Green Park, Kanpur. In December 2009, he scored 293 runs in the first inning of the test match against Sri Lanka at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai. In February 2010, he scored 109 runs in the first inning of the test match against South Africa at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur and scored 165 runs in the first inning of the test match against South Africa at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. In July 2010, he scored 109 runs in the first inning of the test match against Sri Lanka at Galle International Stadium, Galle. In August 2010, he scored 109 runs in the first inning of the test match against Sri Lanka at P Sara Oval, Colombo. In November 2010, he scored 173 runs against New Zealand at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. In November 2012, he scored 117 runs in the first inning of the test match against England at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. He played his last test match on 2 March 2013 against Australia at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. He won 8 Man of the Match awards. He top-scored for India in 38 innings, top-scored for India in 23 test matches, and he was the top-scorer in the match in 12 tests. He was dismissed on the first ball of the inning 6 times in his career. His batting average is highest against Pakistan (91.14) and he scored maximum runs against Australia (1821 runs). He scored more than 1000 runs against three other teams which included 1239 runs against Sri Lanka, 1306 runs against South Africa, and 1276 runs against Pakistan.
Virender Sehwag celebrating after a century on his test debut
ODI
Virender Sehwag played his debut ODI match on 1 April 1999 against Pakistan at IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, India and scored 1 run. He made his first ODI half-century on 25 March 2001 when he scored 58 runs against Australia at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. On 2 August 2001, he made his first ODI century when he scored 100 runs against New Zealand at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo. On 13 July 2002, he scored 45 runs off 49 balls in the iconic NatWest Trophy final against England at Lords Cricket Ground. On 22 September 2002, he scored 126 runs against England in a match in the 2002 Champions Trophy at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. On 12 November 2002, he scored 114 runs not out against West Indies at Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, Rajkot. On 29 December 2002, he scored 108 runs against New Zealand at McLean Park, Napier. On 11 January 2003, he scored 112 runs against New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland. In the 2003 ICC World Cup held in South Africa, he scored 299 runs in 11 matches at an average of 27.18. On 15 November 2003, he scored 130 runs against New Zealand at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Hyderabad. On 2 April 2005, he scored 108 runs against Pakistan at Nehru Stadium, Kochi. On 19 March 2007, he scored 114 runs against Bermuda in a match in the 2007 ICC World Cup held in West Indies. On 26 June 2008, he scored 119 runs against Pakistan at National Stadium, Karachi. On 3 February 2009, he scored 116 runs against Sri Lanka at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo. On 11 March 2009, he scored 125 runs not out against New Zealand at Seddon Park, Hamilton. On 15 December 2009, he scored 146 runs against Sri Lanka at Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, Rajkot. On 16 June 2010, he took 4 wickets for 6 runs against Bangladesh at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla. On 25 August 2010, he scored 110 runs against Sri Lanka at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla. On 8 December 2011, he scored 219 runs against West Indies at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore. He played his last ODI match on 3 January 2013 against Pakistan at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. He made 1000 runs in a calendar year two times in his career which is 1130 runs in 2002 and 1017 runs in 2005. He has won 22 Man of the Match awards in his ODI career. He was the highest scorer for India in 35 matches and the highest scorer of the match in 18 matches. He scored the maximum number of runs (1699 runs) against Sri Lanka and more than 1000 runs against three other teams which included 1008 runs against England, 1157 runs against New Zealand, and 1071 runs against Pakistan.
Virender Sehwag hitting a shot in ODI
2011 ICC World Cup
Virender Sehwag scored 175 runs in India’s first match in the 2011 ICC World Cup against Bangladesh. In the match against South Africa at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur, he scored 73 runs. In the semifinal against Pakistan at IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali, he scored 38 runs off 25 balls which included 9 fours. In the final against Sri Lanka, he got out on a duck; however, India won the 2011 World Cup. He was the third-highest scorer for India with 380 runs in 8 matches at an average of 47.50. His strike rate of 122.58 was the highest among the Indian players. He also hit the first ball of every match except the final for a boundary in the tournament.
Virender Sehwag with the 2011 World Cup Trophy
T20I
Virender Sehwag played his debut T20I match on 1 December 2006 against South Africa at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg and scored 34 runs. On 19 September 2007, he made his first T20I half-century when he scored 68 runs against England at Kingsmead, Durban. On 12 December 2009, he scored 64 runs against Sri Lanka at IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. He scored 54 runs in 3 matches in the 2012 ICC World Cup held in Sri Lanka with a strike rate of 112.50. He played his last T20I match on 2 October 2012 against South Africa at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo in the 2012 ICC World Cup and scored 17 runs.
2007 T20 World Cup
In the 2007 T20 World Cup which was the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup, he scored 133 runs in 5 matches with a strike rate of 138.54. He did not play in the final due to an injury; however, India won the T20 World Cup.
Virender Sehwag (left) celebrating a dismissal in the 2007 T20 World Cup
Captaincy
Virender Sehwag captained India in a few matches. He captained India in 4 test matches winning 2 and losing 1, 12 ODI matches winning 7 and losing 7, and 1 T20 match which India lost. He captained Delhi Daredevils in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 seasons; however, he could not lead them to victory.
Indian Premier League (IPL)
Virender Sehwag played for Delhi Daredevils from 2008 to 2013 seasons. He played his debut IPL match on 19 April 2008 against Rajasthan Royals at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi and scored 12 runs. On 22 April 2008, he made his first IPL half-century when he scored 94 runs not out against Deccan Chargers at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. On 15 March 2010, he scored 75 runs against Rajasthan Royals at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack. On 5 May 2011, he made his first IPL century when he scored 119 runs against Deccan Chargers at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. On 24 April 2012, he scored 87 runs not out against Pune Warriors at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune. On 21 April 2013, he scored 95 runs not out against Mumbai Indians at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. In the 2014 and 2015 seasons, he played for Kings XI Punjab. On 30 May 2014, he scored 122 runs against Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. He played his last IPL match on 3 May 2015 against Mumbai Indians at IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali. He won 11 Man of the Match awards in his IPL career.
Virender Sehwag hitting a shot in IPL
County
He played for the Leicestershire County team in 2003. He played 6 First-Class matches in County Championship, 11 List A matches which included 7 in National League, 3 in the Cheltenham and Gloucestershire Trophy, 1 against the touring Pakistani team, and 6 T20 matches in the Twenty20 Cup.
Jersey Number
He started playing with Jersey number 44; however, his mother and wife did not like his jersey number. His mother advised him to wear Jersey number 46, and his wife advised him to wear jersey number 2. He wore jersey number 46 for some time and later wore a jersey without any number.
Virender Sehwag’s wearing a jersey with the number 44 and without any number
Retirement
He retired from all formats of cricket including IPL on 20 October 2015.
My message. pic.twitter.com/al07Y5PsYF
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) October 20, 2015
Stats
Batting
Tests
ODIs
T20Is
IPL
Fielding & Bowling
Tests
- Most Catches in an Inning: 3
- Most Catches in a Match: 6
- Best Bowling Figures in an Inning: 5 wickets for 104 runs
- Best Bowling in a Match: 5 wickets for 118 runs
ODIs
- Most Catches in a Match: 3
- Best Bowling Figures in a Match: 4 wickets for 6 runs
T20Is
- Most Catches in a Match: 1
- Best Bowling Figures in a Match: o wicket for 20 runs
IPL
- Most Catches in a Match: 3
- Best Bowling Figures in a Match: 2 wickets for 18 runs
Records
- Virender Sehwag is the first Indian batsman to score a triple century in tests and the first Indian batsman to score two triple test centuries.
Virender Sehwag when he hit 319 runs
Virender Sehwag when he hit 309 runs
- He holds the record for the highest individual score (319 runs vs South Africa) by any Indian batsman in tests and the record for the highest score by any Indian batsman against South Africa in tests.
- On 28 March 2004, he put up a partnership of 336 runs for the 3rd wicket with Sachin Tendulkar against Pakistan at Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan which is the highest partnership for India in tests for the 3rd wicket.
- He was the highest scorer in an inning of the 2011 50-over World Cup with his swashbuckling 175 runs against Bangladesh.
- He was the highest run scorer for India in the 2007 50-over World Cup with 164 runs in 3 matches and was the only Indian player to hit a century in that tournament.
- He is the second cricketer to score a double century in ODIs after the legendary fellow Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. Sehwag made 219 runs against West Indies on 8 December 2011 which was the highest individual ODI score at that time.
- He holds the record for the fastest triple century in test cricket which he made in 278 balls.
- He holds the record of scoring the third-highest runs in a day in a test match, scoring 284 runs against Sri Lanka on 2 December 2009.
- He is the 11th Indian batsman to score a century on his test debut.
- He shares the record of scoring the most triple centuries in tests with Australian cricketer Don Bradman, and West Indies cricketers Brian Lara and Chris Gayle. All of them have 2 triple centuries in tests.
- He shares the record for the highest number of consecutive half-centuries in tests by an Indian batsman with Gautam Gambhir. Both of them scored 11 consecutive half-centuries in test matches.
- He is the 14th Indian batsman who scored a century and got out for a duck in the same test match, and one of the four Indian batsmen of having this record in two separate tests, the other two being Vijay Manjrekar, Sachin Tendulkar, and Cheteshwar Pujara.
- He holds the record for hitting the maximum number of fours by an Indian cricketer and the second-highest number of fours by any cricketer during a test inning. He hit 47 fours when he made 254 runs against Pakistan.
- He is one of the four Indian batsmen who opened the inning in a test match and remained not out while the team got all out. He achieved this record when he scored 201 runs not against Sri Lanka in July 2008.
- He is the fastest Indian batsman to score 3000 runs (55 innings), 4000 runs (79 innings), and 7000 runs (134 innings) in test cricket.
- He holds the record for taking the maximum number of catches (4) by a substitute player in a test match.
- He holds the record for making the highest individual score as a captain in an ODI match. He made 219 runs against West Indies at Indore which included 25 fours due to which he also holds the record for hitting the second-highest number of fours by any cricketer in an ODI match.
- He is the only Indian batsman to remain not out in an ODI match on 99 runs which he made against Sri Lanka.
- He holds the record for hitting the maximum number of runs by boundaries by an Indian batsman in a test inning. When he made 293 runs against 293 runs against Sri Lanka, he made 202 runs from boundaries which included 40 fours and 7 sixes.
- He holds the record for hitting the maximum number of sixes (91) in tests by an Indian batsman (6th overall).
- Virender Sehwag is the only cricketer to score 7500 or more runs in both tests and ODIs as an opener. He scored 8207 runs in Test and 7518 runs in ODI cricket as an opener.
- He holds the record of hitting the maximum number of boundaries on the first ball of the innings across all formats of cricket. He hit 54 boundaries on the first ball which included 25 boundaries in tests, 26 boundaries in ODIs, and 3 boundaries in T20Is.
- He is the only player to hit three consecutive sixes in the first over of a T20I match.
- He is the only player who has opened his innings with a six in each format of cricket.
- He is the only player to hit five consecutive half-centuries in IPL.
- He made the record for the fastest century by an Indian batsman in ODIs (which was later broken) on 11 March 2009 with a century in 60 balls against New Zealand.
- He is the only player apart from Chris Gayle with a triple century in tests and double under in ODIs.
Injuries
Virender Sehwag’s shoulder got injured during the IPL semifinal against Deccan Chargers in 2009. He went to London to get it checked by a specialist and did not play in the 2009 T20 World Cup. He also tore his shoulder tendon before the 2011 ICC World Cup; however, coach Gary Kirsten and BCCI officials told him to play in the World Cup and undergo the surgery later. He also lifted very fewer weights in the gym on the advice of Sachin Tendulkar who told him that it only helps to keep up the rhythm and maintain fitness.
Controversies
Banned for one match
In November 2001, Virender Sehwag was playing against South Africa at St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth which was the second test of his career and became a very controversial test for Indian cricket. Match referee Mike Denness banned him for one test match with immediate effect and imposed a fine of 75% of his match fees for allegedly showing dissent at the umpire’s decision, attempting to intimidate the umpires by charging, and using crude or abusive language against match officials which breached ICC Players and Team Officials Code No 3, 4, and 5. Players and Team Officials Code No.3 states that ‘players and/or team officials must at all times accept the umpire’s decision and not show dissent at the umpire’s decision.’ Players and Team Officials Code No.4 states that ‘players and/or team officials shall not verbally abuse, assault, intimidate or attempt to assault or intimidate any umpire, spectator, referee, player or team official. Nor shall any player and/or team official engage in any conduct towards or speak to any other player, umpire, spectator, referee or team official in a manner which offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies the other person on the basis of that other person’s race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin.’ Players and Team Officials Code No 5 states that ‘Players and/or Team Officials shall not use crude or abusive language nor make offensive gestures.’ Three other Indian cricketers named Harbhajan Singh, Deep Dasgupta, and Shiv Sunder Das were also banned for one test match, which was to be served by the last day of January 2002, and imposed a fine of 75% of their match fees for allegedly breaching ICC Players and Team Officials Code No 3 and 4. Indian legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was also banned for one match, which was to be served by the last day of December 2001, and fined 75% of his match fees for allegedly interfering with the ball and changing its conditions which breached Players and Team Officials Code No 2 which states that ‘players and/or team officials shall at no time engage in conduct unbecoming to their status which could bring them or the game of cricket into disrepute.’ Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly was also banned for one test match and two ODI matches, which was to be served by the last day of January 2002 as long as he remained the captain of India, for allegedly not keeping the actions of fellow Indian players in control which breached ICC Players and Team Officials Code No.1 which states that ‘the captains are responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the spirit of the game as well as within the Laws of Cricket,’ and ICC Players and Team Officials Code No.2. Indian cricket fans were enraged upon match referee’s decisions and protested against ICC and the match referee in the streets of various Indian cities. Several cricketers from different countries stated that the decisions were a bit too harsh, politicians raised the issue in the Indian parliament, and BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya also protested the decision in ICC. Sehwag did not play in the third test against South Africa; however, Mike Denness did not officiate in the match, and since there was no ICC match referee, it was ruled as an unofficial test and was not considered for any official record. In the following series against England in India, BCCI selected Sehwag in the 14-players squad; however, after insistence from ICC and to avoid any further collision between BCCI and ICC, Sehwag was not included in the playing XI in the first test against England at Mohali.
Accusing Suraj Randiv of deliberately bowling no ball
A controversy erupted on 16 August 2010 when India played an ODI match against Sri Lanka at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla. Virender Sehwag was playing on 99 runs not out when the scores became equal and India needed one run to win. Sri Lankan spinner Suraj Randiv bowled the final delivery which Sehwag hit for a six; however, the umpire Asad Rauf signalled a no ball which meant India won the match but Sehwag’s score remained at 99 runs not out after the match. Fans watching the match were enraged upon seeing this as Randiv’s foot was out of the crease by a big margin, and they claimed that he bowled the no-ball intentionally. Several reports later claimed that Randiv was motivated by Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara who was allegedly heard in the stump mic saying in Sinhalese that Sehwag would get the run if he hit the ball. A news report claimed that another Sri Lankan player Tillakaratne Dilshan suggested Randiv bowl the no-ball. It was alleged that Dilshan shouted in Sinhalese ‘oney nam, no ball ekak danna puluwan’ (if you want, you can bowl a no ball) while fielding at the cover point. Sehwag initially kept calm and said that he understood Randiv’s mentality as no bowler or team would want any batsman to score a century against them. He said,
I think bowlers try to bowl a wide or no-ball when a batsman is on 99, and scores get level in cricket. It happens in cricket because no one wants a batsman to score a hundred against them. So it’s fair enough.”
Sehwag later targetted Randiv in the post-match press meeting for purposely bowling a no-ball to deny him the century and also blamed Sri Lanka for doing the same with Indian legend cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in a previous match in Cuttack. He said,
He didn’t bowl a single no-ball in the Test series or the One-day series so far, so why now on 99? Also, it was not a small no-ball, no small margin at all, from one foot ahead. I’m not the captain or player of the opposition team, that I can tell if someone told Randiv to bowl the no-ball or not. But something must’ve been said. It has happened before, when Sachin Tendulkar was left on 99 not out [actually 96] in Cuttack, they bowled four wides down the leg side This is not the first time Sri Lanka has done this, they may have done it with other teams but with India it is the second time.”
Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara said in the post-match meeting that he did not believe that the no-ball was bowled intentionally, and must have been done by mistake by Randiv while trying to get some bounce off the pitch. He said,
If that was intentional that has got no place on the field of cricket. If it is deliberate I will have to have a chat with him and make sure things like that don’t happen again. Suraj is a nice guy, I hope it’s not deliberate. Maybe he was trying to bowl the doosra, get some bounce.”
Indian team manager Ranjib Biswal spoke to Sri Lankan Cricket’s secretary Nishantha Ranatunga about this incident who later spoke with Sri Lanka team manager Anura Tennekoon and ordered an enquiry into the incident. Biswal said that they considered the matter closed after they received an apology from the Sri Lankan team. Sehwag tweeted the following day on 17 August 2010 that Randiv came to his room last night and apologised for the mistake.
Suraj Randiv was later banned for one match, Dilshan was fined his entire match fees, and Sangakkara was advised to prevent such incidents from happening again. Six years, after this incident, Sehwag tweeted a photo of Randiv’s overstepping while remembering this match.
Allegedly bribing ICC Umpire Asad Raud
Virender Sehwag once said during an interview that he gave a few shoes, glasses, and t-shirts and asked him to not give him out during matches. In a match against Australia in 2008, Sehwag was batting when he edged a ball bowled by Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson; however, Rauf did not give him out. There were several claims that Rauf did not give Sehwag out due to his favour which Rauf rejected.
Controversial tweet about mob lynching
On 24 February 2018, he tweeted about a controversial mob lynching incident in Kerala in which a tribal person died after he was beaten by a mob for allegedly stealing rice from the local shops. His tweet read,
Madhu stole 1 kg rice. A mob of Ubaid, Hussain and Abdul Kareem lynched the poor tribal man to death. This is a disgrace to a civilised society and I feel ashamed that this happens and kuch farak nahi padta.”
Several people reacted angrily to his tweet and said that he named the accused to purposely portray a specific religion in a bad light and left the names of other accused as the police arrested more than 16 persons after which he deleted his tweet and tweeted an apology in which he mentioned that he did not specify the names of other accused as he did not have complete information. His apology tweet read,
Non acceptance of a fault is itself a 2nd fault.I apologise I missed out on more names involved in this crime bcoz of incomplete info & sincerely apologise 4 it but the tweet is not communal at all. Killers r divided by religion but united by a violent mentality. May there b peace.”
Replies to Pakistani bowler Shoaib Akhtar
Virender Sehwag is famous for trolling Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar brutally on two separate occasions. In the India-Pakistan match in the 2003 World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa, Akhtar bowled consecutive bouncers to Sehwag asking him to hit the hook shot to which Sehwag signalled to Sachin Tendulkar, who was standing at the other end, and said to Akhtar that your father is standing at the non-striking end, ask him, he will hit it. (Vo tera baap khada hai samne non-striking end pe, uss ko bol vo maar ke dikhaega) Later, when Aakhtar bowled a bouncer to Tendulkar, he hit it for a six, and then Sehwag said to Akhtar that father is father and son is a son. (baap baap hota hai, beta beta hota hai) Later in an interview, Shoaib said that Sehwag did not say it, and had Sehwag spoken any such words, he would have beaten him on the ground and at the hotel.
Question: Sehwag said something to you about Tendulkar, (referring to the Beta beta hota hai, baap baap hota hai story)
Shoaib Akhtar “Would he survive after saying something like that to me? Would I leave him? I would beat him up at the ground and then at the hotel”#Cricket
— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) August 1, 2020
During his triple century in 2004 in Multan against Pakistan, when he was at a score of more than 200 runs, Akhtar started bowling bouncers to him and asked him to hit a pull shot. After Shoaib taunted him a few more times, he replied are you bowling or begging? (Tum bowling kar rahe ho ya bheek mang rahe ho)
Referring to Virat Kohli as Chhamiya
On 3 July 2022, Virender Sehwag was commentating during the test match between India and England held at Edgbaston, Birmingham. When Indian bowler Mohammad Siraj dismissed English batsman Sam Billings, Virat Kohli became overjoyed and was seen dancing in the team huddle. Sehwag compared Kohli’s moves to Chhamiya which angered many cricket fans who requested broadcasters to remove him from commentating and criticised his word selection and called it derogatory towards women.
Registering his Mercedes car in Noorpur, Kangra, Himachal Pradesh
On 19 February 2020, he registered his Mercedes car with the number HP 39 F 8988 in Noorpur of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh which raised suspicions of alleged tax evasion. It was reported that Sehwag had an agreement with a school in Shimla. SDM Noorpur Surendra Thakur said that the documents provided by Sehwag were legal and correct, hence the registration cannot be nullified. Local residence Opposition leader Mukesh Agnihotri raised doubts over the registration and demanded an enquiry into the matter.
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- Arjuna Award in 2002
Virender Sehwag (right) receiving the Arjuna Award from former President of India, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
- He was selected for the ICC Test Team of the Year in 2005, 2008 and 2010, and for the ICC ODI Team of the Year in 2004, 2009, and 2011.
- Polly Umrigar Award for 2007-2008 season
- He won the Wisden Cricketer of the Year award twice consecutively for his performance in 2008 and 2009.
- Padma Shree in 2010
Virender Sehwag receiving Padma Shree from former President of India, Pratibha Singh Patil
- In 2010, he was adjudged the ICC Test Player of the Year for his stellar performances between the period of 24 August 2009 and 10 August 2010.
- On 31 October 2017, Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) named Gate No.2 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi after him.
- On 13 November 2023, he was inducted into the International Cricket Council’s list of Hall of Fame along with Diana Edulji and Aravinda de Silva.
Diana Edulji, Aravinda de Silva, and Virender Sehwag were inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame (2023)
Car Collection
He owns a Bentley Continental Flying Spur worth Rs 3.4 crores, BMW 730Ld worth Rs 1.5 crores gifted by Sachin Tendulkar, and a Mercedes car.
Thank you @sachin_rt paaji and @bmwindia .Grateful for this ! pic.twitter.com/8PQd9NxO11
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) September 26, 2017
Salary
He earns more than Rs 1.5 crores per month from his school, cricket academy, investments, deals, and advertisements for various brands like Boost, Samsung, and Adidas.
Net Worth
As of July 2022, he has a net worth of Rs 286 crores.
Facts/Trivia
- In 2005, the Wisden Cricketer magazine conducted a poll in which 20 international bowlers including Harbhajan Singh, Brett Lee, and Muttiah Muralitharan voted Virender Sehwag as the fourth most feared batsman in ODIs.
- Australian legendary spinner Shane Warne wrote in his book ‘Shane Warne’s Century: My Top 100 Test Cricketers’ that Virender Sehwag was one of his favourite batsmen and favourite personalities. He further wrote that Sehwag was a match-winner; had he been a captain, he would have included even an out-of-form Sehwag in the playing XI.
- While talking to fans in June 2011, Virender Sehwag said that his toughest opponent was Australia as their bowling was one of the best in the world. He also added that his best shot was square cut, and Sachin Tendulkar‘s best shot as per him was the straight drive.
- He, along with ICC CEO Malcolm Speed and UNICEF India’s representative Cecilio Adorna, visited ART Centre in Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital, New Delhi before the ICC T20 World Cup 2007 to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS and reduce the stigma around it.
- Legendary West Indies batsman Viv Richards said in an interview in 2010 that Virender Sehwag was the most dangerous batsman in the world.
- In December 2014, Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden chose Virender Sehwag in his All-Time Greatest XI team.
- In January 2011, he was voted by the fans as the opening batsman in the All-Time ODI Dream Team.
- His coach A. N. Sharma had so much confidence in him that once during a school match, his team dismissed the rival team below 100 runs. His coach sent Sehwag and another batter to bat and went to another ground with the rest of the team to play another match.
- He played for the Madras Club under the coach Satish Sharma popularly known as Neelu.
- He is popularly known as ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ and ‘Multan ka Sultan’ among his fans. Sachin Tendulkar fondly called him Birbal. His other names are Viru, Viru Pa, and Bholi. Indian cricketer and politician Navjot Singh Sidhu once praised Sehwag by calling him Tendulkar of North.
- When he was 12 years old, he was hit by a ball on the mouth which partially broke his one tooth. His father spent Rs 5000 to get his tooth fixed and forbid him from playing cricket again. He kept on playing cricket and hid his cricket kit on the terrace.
- He once gave a Maruti car at one of his friend’s sister’s wedding as his friend was unable to afford the demand of a car.
- After Sehwag became popular, he often distributed his used kits to children at his coach A. N. Sharma’s training camp. He also gave new kits to those who could not afford them.
- His coach revealed during an interview that after Sehwag once got out on the second ball bowled by Pakistani bowler Shoaib Akhtar, he took a vow to hit the Pakistani bowlers for maximum runs and scored 309 runs against them in a test match at Multan.
- On 10 November 2017, he was made a member of the Anti-Doping Appeal Panel (ADAP) of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA).
- When he was playing in an inter-school tournament in his school, he lost six balls as he hit them out of the ground, and they could not be retrieved.
Virender Sehwag (extreme left) during his school days
- He started Sehwag International School in 2011 in Jhajjar, Haryana after the Haryana government gave him 23-acre land to start an academy. He requested the state government to start a school which was his father’s dream which the government complied with. In a guest appearance on the popular TV show Indian Idol in 2017, he revealed that 22 students of his school had participated in national and state tournaments in various sports.
- He brought cigarettes for his father from foreign countries whenever he came back from international tours.
- He likes eating kheer, tari ka aloo and aloo ka parantha.
- His favourite player during his growing years was Sachin Tendulkar. He became a very close friend of Tendulkar in his playing years and later revealed in an interview that Tendulkar used to give him bananas to keep him quiet.
Virender Sehwag with Sachin Tendulkar
- Several sources claimed that he did not like the captaincy style of Indian captain M. S. Dhoni; however, it has never been confirmed as both of them have praised each other on several occasions.
- He used to sing songs while playing which were recorded several times by the stump mic. He revealed in an interview that his favourite song was Chala Jata Hoon Kisi Ki Dhun Mei.
- In an interview, Sehwag said that former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly sacrificed his batting slot for him and gave Ganguly credit for his magnificent career.
- British soccer club Manchester United gave Sehwag a t-shirt with the number 319 printed on it.
Virender Sehwag’s 319 jersey
- He once wanted to retire in 2007 after he was dropped from the team; however, Sachin Tendulkar stopped him from retiring.
- He used to go to practice with Indian bowler Ashish Nehra for the Delhi team. He often ate Nehra’s breakfast as Nehra’s father offered breakfast to Nehra who would be asleep and requested Sehwag to eat his breakfast in time he got ready to leave for practice.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education