Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag

Personal information

Full Name	Virender Sehwag
Nickname(s)	Viru, Bholi, Nawab(Prince) of Najafgarh, Sultan of Multan
Born	20 October 1978, Najafgarh, Delhi
Residence	New Delhi
Nationality	Indian
Parent(s)
Gotra	Sehwag

Cricket related information

Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right arm off break
Role	Opening batsman
National side	Indian

Padma Shri
Virender Sehwag announced retirement from cricket on 20 Oct 2015

Virender Singh Sehwag is a famous Indian cricketer (batsman). He was born on October 20, 1978, in Delhi in a Hindu Jat family of Sehwag gotra. He basically belongs to village Chhudani (Jhajjar) district, Haryana. He has been nicknamed Bholi by family and friends while wildly known as Veru in Criket World. He is member of the Indian national cricket team since 1998 (one-dayers) and 2001 (Tests). He was given the vice-captaincy of the Indian team on July 18, 2005. He was decorated with country's prestigious civilian award Padma Shri on 26 January 2010.

Virender Sehwag announced retirement from cricket on 20.10.2015.

Early life

The son of a "grain hawker", Virender spent his childhood in a Bungalow in a joint family with siblings, uncles, aunts and 16 cousins. Though now settled in New Delhi, the Sehwag family hails from Chhudani village in Haryana.He also owns an eatery 'Sehwags' in a multiplex in Delhi.

Cricket career

He was often compared to Sachin Tendulkar in his early days due to the similar batting style.

He has scored over 4,000 ODI runs at a strike rate of 96.98 runs per 100 balls which makes him one of the fastest batsmen in the world. He has also scored over 7,000 runs in first-class cricket at an average of more than 50 with 23 first class centuries.

In ODI cricket, he is known for his aggressive, dazzling batting style, and does not hesitate to play unorthodox shots. He is at his element in the first 15 overs of the one-day game, dispatching the ball to the fence with ease and panache. It has been noted that his technique is very similar to Sachin Tendulkar, with whom he forms a most dangerous and entertaining opening pair. Sehwag is also a useful spin bowler.

Sehwag has adapted to both the forms of the game. In the longer version of the game, he plays to ensure that he does not lose his wicket quickly although he scores at a rapid rate. His Test debut was in style as he put on a rollicking ton against South Africa after early loss of wickets. Despite not being a specialised Test opener he started to open matches for India scoring 80 & 100 in his first 2 games in England. On March 29, 2004 he became the first ever Indian batsman and only the 4th Asian batsman to score 300 runs in a Test innings, playing against Pakistan at Multan. He scored a total 309 runs in that innings. Interestingly he reached the milestone with a six becoming the only batsman to reach a triple ton with a sixer. He later auctioned the bat with which he made the record, for Rs. 70,000, to aid in relief efforts for the tsunami victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. His performance against Pakistan has been outstanding scoring at an outstanding average close to 100. His first innings average of 70+ is the second best, next only to Don Bradman.

Sehwag married Arti Ahlawat in April, 2004 under heavy security in a media publicized wedding. Sehwag is fondly referred to in the media as the Prince of Najafgarh, Najafgarh being his home locality in Delhi.

In December 2005, Sehwag stood in as captain for the ill Rahul Dravid in the 3rd Test against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad, which India won

World records

Only batsman after to score 290s thrice after Don Bradman.
The third batsman, after Don Bradman and Brian Lara, to pass 300 twice in Tests.
The only Indian batsman to make a triple century in test cricket
The only batsman to reach a triple century with a six in test cricket
The only Indian to make two triple century.
Fastest triple century.
2nd fastest test double century when he reached the landmark against Pakistan off just 182 balls
Broke Don Bradman's record of most consecutive 150s by scoring 7 of them in his last 7 centuries.
Partnering with Rahul Dravid, both were involved in the highest opening partnership for a test match played away from home (India) scoring 410 runs versus Pakistan in the 2005-06 season. They were only four runs short of making the highest opening partnership in test cricket.
Sehwag's score in the same match versus Pakistan saw him score 254 off 247 balls which is the highest-ever Test score at over a run-a-ball.
He scored 195 run in a single day in Autralia.

Sehwag greater than Sachin: Study

Here is a study about Sehwag published in Times of India dated 16 August 2010.^[1]

A 'scientific' analysis of batting achievements in Test cricket has found what most people already know - that Don Bradman was the greatest batsman in the game. A paper, written by two economists, analysed factors such as consistency of scoring, value of a batsman's runs to the team and home-away record, and found the Australian great leagues ahead of the rest on all counts.

That's hardly a surprise. But the paper has some far more interesting conclusions.

While just five Indians qualify in the top 50 on the basis of career averages, in none of the parameters does Sachin Tendulkar, the highest run scorer in Tests, emerge on top even among Indian batsmen.

For instance, in terms of value of runs scored to the team, Virender Sehwag is India's top batsman (overall rank 6), followed by Rahul Dravid and Tendulkar.

On consistency of scoring, Dravid (rank 4) pips Sachin (5), followed by Sunil Gavaskar (11), Sehwag (12) and Vinod Kambli (13).

In another ranking based on career contribution to the team score, Dravid and Gavaskar (both ranked 5) emerge as India's top batsmen. Then come Tendulkar and Sehwag (both 6) and Kambli (8).

The paper - The 'Bradman Class': An Exploration of Some Issues in the Evaluation of Batsmen for Test Matches, 1877-2006 - ranks 50 batsmen from all eras. Written by economists Vani K Borooah, University of Ulster and John E Mangan of University of Queensland, it was published in the Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports.

याद रहेगा वीरेंद्र सहवाग का बादशाही अंदाज

क्रिकेटप्रेमियों ने उन्हें ‘नजफ़गढ़ का नवाब’ और ‘मुल्तान का सुल्तान’ जैसे नामों से पुकारा। इसलिए कि उनके खेल में बादशाहों जैसा रुतबा था। वीरेंद्र सहवाग ने अंतरराष्ट्रीय क्रिकेट से विदाई भी अपने उसी चिर-परिचित अंदाज में ली है। अपनी 37वीं सालगिरह पर रिटायरमेंट का एलान करते हुए उन्होंने कहा कि उन्होंने हमेशा वही किया है जिसे सही समझा, वह नहीं जिसे जानी-पहचानी लकीर पर चलने वाले सही कहते हैं। ईश्वर (उनके प्रति) कृपालु रहा है और उन्होंने मैदान पर एवं अपनी जिंदगी में जो चाहा वह किया। घिसे-पिटे तरीकों पर न चलने के सहवाग के स्वभाव के साक्षी करोड़ों क्रिकेटप्रेमी हैं। वरना, ऐसा क्रिकेटर और कौन हुआ, जिसने दोहरे या तिहरे शतक के करीब होने पर भी अपनी बैटिंग का अंदाज नहीं बदला और उन मौकों पर भी छक्के मारे या मारने की कोशिश की। इस प्रयास में आउट होने पर भी गम की शिकन जिसके चेहरे पर नहीं दिखी! इसीलिए कुदरती हुनर के धनी सहवाग अपने ढंग के अनोखे क्रिकेटर माने गए। टेस्ट मैचों को सीमित ओवरों वाले क्रिकेट जैसी आक्रामकता से खेला। इस नज़रिये से बेहतरीन-से-बेहतरीन गेंदबाजों का मनोबल ऐसे तोड़ते रहे कि जब वे चले तो फिर अक्सर उन मैचों से विपक्षी टीम बाहर ही हो गई। उनकी महानता का इससे बड़ा प्रमाण और क्या होगा कि गेंदबाजों के लिए कमरतोड़ अंदाज में खेलने के बावजूद उन्होंने टेस्ट क्रिकेट के महानतम ओपनरों में अपना नाम लिखवाया। सहवाग ने 104 टेस्ट मैच खेले, जिनमें 49.34 के औसत से 8,586 रन बनाए। 12 साल के कॅरिअर में अधिकांश समय तक उन्होंने अपना औसत 50 रन से ऊपर बनाए रखा। आखिरी दिनों खराब फॉर्म के कारण सर्वकालीन-सर्वश्रेष्ठ बल्लेबाजों की सूची में होने की इस एक कसौटी से वे थोड़े पिछड़ गए, मगर कई दूसरे मानदंडों पर सबसे अलग बने रहे। मसलन, टेस्ट क्रिकेट इतिहास में सिर्फ चार बल्लेबाजों ने दो बार तिहरे शतक बनाए हैं और सहवाग उनमें से एक हैं। वन-डे क्रिकेट में 96 विकेट भी लेकर सहवाग ने कई बार टीम इंडिया के लिए मैच जिताने वाले गेंदबाज की भूमिका निभाई। अपने ऐसे ही अनगिनत योगदानों के कारण वे इतने लंबे समय तक भारतीय क्रिकेट टीम का अभिन्न अंग बने रहे। दरअसल, सिर्फ उनकी मौजूदगी ही टीम के लिए आत्म-विश्वास की वजह होती थी और इसीलिए वे भारत के पसंदीदा क्रिकेटर थे। बाकी दुनिया में उन्हें चाहा गया, तो इसलिए कि उन्हें खेलते देखना ऐसा अद्‌भुत अनुभव था, जिसकी कोई सरहद नहीं थी।

संदर्भ - भास्कर दिनांक 21.10.2015