Table of Contents
Virender Sehwag, a retired Indian cricketer, proudly represented the Indian cricket team from 1999 to 2013. Revered for his reputation as one of the most formidable opening batsmen, he was a force to be reckoned with. Sehwag showcased his skills not only on the international stage but also as a key player for Delhi Capitals in the IPL and as a representative of Delhi and Haryana in Indian domestic cricket. He marked his entry into the One Day International arena in 1999 and made his foray into the Indian test team in 2001. The Nawab of Najafgarh, as he is fondly called, has had an interesting life. From controversies, achievements, the highs and the lows, to personal milestones, we explore everything right here.
About Virender Sehwag
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Virender Sehwag |
| Born | 20 October 1978 (age 44) |
| Place of Birth | Najafgarh, Delhi, India |
| Nicknames | Viru, Nawab of Najafgarh, Sultan of Multan |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right arm off break |
| Role | Opening batsman |
| National side | India (1999–2013) |
| Test debut (cap 239) | 3 November 2001 v South Africa |
| Last Test | 2 March 2013 v Australia |
| ODI debut (cap 123) | 1 April 1999 v Pakistan |
| Last ODI | 3 January 2013 v Pakistan |
| ODI shirt no. | 44 |
| T20I debut (cap 9) | 1 December 2006 v South Africa |
| Last T20I | 2 October 2012 v South Africa |
| Major Team Played for | India, Asia XI, Delhi, ICC World XI, India Blue, Kings XI Punjab, Marylebone Cricket Club, |
Cricketer Virender Sehwag: Early Life
When he was just seven years old, Sehwag was gifted a toy bat. Perhaps as an inclination of his bright future in cricket, it soon became his favourite toy! Sehwag knew that he wasn’t academically inclined, so he made up his mind to pursue a career in sports. Viru convinced his parents to allow him to play cricket. Since he started playing cricket as a child, his batting style was attacking. He received guidance from coach Amar Nath Sharma.
The cricketing legend was almost stopped from making history due to an accident in 1990 when he broke his tooth while playing. His father was worried about his safety and asked him to stop playing. Fortunately for Sehwag and the entire country as well as all global cricket fans, his mother was somehow successful in convincing his father to let him play. Phew! Sehwag completed his graduation from Jamia Millia Islamia and then started representing Delhi in domestic cricket.
Domestic Career
Cricketer Virender Sehwag started playing for the Delhi cricket team from the 1997-98 season. He was also part of the Duleep Trophy. He scored 274 in a match and impressed everyone. Later he was a part of U-19 team which toured South Africa. His performance through his first-class career was superb, and he became a favorite of all selectors.
International Career
Sehwag’s first international ODI was a disaster as he scored just one against Pakistan in April 1999. In December 2000, Sehwag got his second chance, and he wasn’t going to let go of this one. In March 2001, he scored 58 off 54 runs and took three wickets as well. The result was his first man of the match award. In August the very same year, he started opening the match. With stellar performances, he cemented his team in the Indian squad.
At the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka, V Sehwag won two Man of the Match awards. However, his performance in the 2003 Cricket World Cup was average. In the next few years, his performance in test cricket was superb, but he couldn’t score much in limited-overs. After a brief dip in performance, he came back stronger. He continued blasting centuries in spite of inconsistency in form. Sehwag has featured in ICC’s World XI numerous times. Curtains closed one of the most celebrated cricketing careers, as Sehwag announced his retirement from all formats of international cricket on 20th October 2015.
Virender Sehwag in IPL
In the initial two seasons of the Indian Premier League, Sehwag assumed leadership of the Delhi Daredevils. He relinquished the captaincy thereafter to focus on his batting, passing it on to Gautam Gambhir. Yet, in the fourth IPL edition, he remained the sole player retained by the franchise, resuming his role as captain for the Delhi Daredevils once more. In the subsequent fifth season, Sehwag continued to lead the team, achieving the remarkable feat of recording five consecutive half-centuries in T20 matches.
Playing Style
The right-handed batsman has opened numerous matches in style and made the opponent team lose hope in no time. Unabashed, dashing, and aggressive, his batting style has always been destructive. Though often compared to Sachin Tendulkar in his early days, Sehwag has always been known as an orthodox batsman.
The Century Man
V Sehwag has always blasted centuries and made them look like a walk in the park. One of his most memorable triple centuries definitely is the 319, he scored against South Africa in M.A. Chidambaram Stadium Chennai. That is also the highest score made an Indian in test cricket. He just took 278 balls to reach 300. He has surpassed the score of 300 twice in his career. Most of his centuries have been record-breaking. And Sehwag truly deserves the moniker, Century Man.
Virender Sehwag Net Worth
Among India’s wealthiest cricketers, Cricketer Virender Sehwag has accumulated his substantial net worth through a diverse range of avenues, encompassing his illustrious cricketing career, numerous endorsement deals, and shrewd investments. As of 2023, his financial worth is projected to stand at approximately $42 million (equivalent to Rs. 300 crores).
Family Background of Virender Sehwag
V Sehwag was born in a big Jat family from Haryana. His father, Krishnan Sehwag, is a grain merchant. He has two sisters, Manju and Anju, and a brother Vinod. In April 2004, Virender Sehwag got married Aarti Ahlawat. The couple is blessed with two sons, Aryavir and Vedant.
Interesting Facts about Virender Sehwag
- Sehwag has started a school where students can study, train, stay, and play various sports in Jhajjar, Haryana. It was his father’s dream, and when Haryana government offered him land, he opened the school. By the year 2017, 22 students from the school had already represented national and state teams.
- Sehwag has appeared as a guest on the popular singing reality show, Indian Idol in January 2017.
- Gate No. 2 at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium was named after Sehwag by District Cricket Association.
Awards and Honours
- Padma Shree, 2010
- Arjuna Award, 2002
- Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World, 2008 & 2009
- ICC Test Player of the Year, 2010
International Records
- Only batsman in the history to have scored 7,500-plus runs in both Tests & ODIs as an opener
- Fastest Test triple century for which he took 278 balls.
- Most Triple Test Centuries (2)
- Third-highest individual score in ODIs: 219
- Second fastest in the world to reach to 7000 Test runs
- Second Fastest 250 in Tests (207 balls)
- Most 290+ scores in Tests: 3 (joint record holder along with Don Bradman)
Also Read | Top 5 batters to complete 25000 runs in international cricket
Statistics
- Batting & Fielding
| FORMAT | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct | St |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 104 | 180 | 6 | 8586 | 319 | 49.34 | 10441 | 82.23 | 23 | 32 | 1233 | 91 | 91 | 0 |
| ODI | 251 | 245 | 9 | 8273 | 219 | 35.05 | 7929 | 104.33 | 15 | 38 | 1132 | 136 | 93 | 0 |
| T20I | 19 | 18 | 0 | 394 | 68 | 21.88 | 271 | 145.38 | 0 | 2 | 43 | 16 | 2 | 0 |
| FC | 194 | 321 | 11 | 14683 | 319 | 47.36 | – | – | 42 | 55 | – | – | 166 | 0 |
| List A | 332 | 321 | 14 | 10454 | 219 | 34.05 | – | – | 16 | 57 | – | – | 120 | 0 |
| T20 | 159 | 157 | 6 | 4061 | 122 | 26.89 | 2747 | 147.83 | 2 | 24 | 487 | 147 | 42 | 0 |
- Bowling
| FORMAT | Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 104 | 91 | 3731 | 1894 | 40 | 5/104 | 5/118 | 47.35 | 3.04 | 93.2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ODI | 251 | 146 | 4392 | 3853 | 96 | 4/6 | 4/6 | 40.13 | 5.26 | 45.7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| T20I | 19 | 1 | 6 | 20 | 0 | – | – | – | 20.00 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FC | 194 | – | 8614 | 4470 | 105 | 5/104 | – | 42.57 | 3.11 | 82.0 | – | 1 | 0 |
| List A | 332 | – | 6009 | 5154 | 142 | 4/6 | 4/6 | 36.29 | 5.14 | 42.3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| T20 | 159 | 28 | 358 | 496 | 22 | 3/14 | 3/14 | 22.54 | 8.31 | 16.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Social Media: Virender Sehwag
As we were approaching Sunset, Moon ke South Pole par hum set.
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) August 23, 2023
What a glorious moment.
Just proves, after every setback is a stronger comeback .
Some naysayers who want Bharat to fail, some of them living in India as well will have some sleepless nights. #Chandrayaan3 pic.twitter.com/lWbs8Mg5AS
Thank you for confirming Henry.
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) August 23, 2023
Glad Yamraj ji overruled. https://t.co/7udI7v6c1V
Achhi Chai aur Achhi Raai badi mushkil se milti hai.
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) August 21, 2023
How many cups of tea do you usually have in a day.#TeaLover pic.twitter.com/P5cgmBeC2x
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
View this post on Instagram
Also Read | Sachin Tendulkar Biography | Cricket Career | Stats | Awards
FAQ
Cricketer Virender Sehwag was born on October 20, 1978, in Najafgarh, Delhi, India.
Sehwag is often referred to by nicknames such as “Viru,” “Nawab of Najafgarh,” and “Sultan of Multan.”
Sehwag was a right-handed opening batsman known for his aggressive batting style. He was renowned for his ability to dominate bowlers from the very beginning of an innings and for his remarkable hand-eye coordination.
Virender Sehwag made his international debut for India in One Day Internationals (ODIs) on April 1, 1999, against Pakistan. His Test debut came on November 3, 2001, against South Africa.
In April 2004, Virender Sehwag got married Aarti Ahlawat. The couple is blessed with two sons, Aryavir and Vedant.
