Long before ‘Bazball’ became cricket’s buzzword, Virender Sehwag was redefining opening batting. The man walked out with a smile, taking guard and sending the very first delivery racing to the boundary. Widely hailed as one of the most explosive openers the game has seen, Sehwag once came very close to quitting one-day cricket (ODI).

In a recent podcast, the former India opener opened up about how he nearly retired from ODI cricket in 2007-08 and how Sachin TendulkarSachin Tendulkar convinced him to reconsider. Sehwag recalled a low point during India’s tri-nation series in Australia and Sri Lanka, when then-captain MS Dhoni dropped him after the first three matches.

“In the 2007-08 series against Australia, I played the first three matches and then MS Dhoni dropped me. I wasn’t picked for a while after that. Then I felt that if I can’t be part of the playing XI, there is no point in playing ODI cricket,” Sehwag said on the podcast.

ALSO READ

Advice from Tendulkar

Frustrated, Sehwag informed Tendulkar of his plan to quit. The senior batter advised against an emotional decision. “I told him, ‘I am thinking of retiring from ODIs’. He said, ‘No. I went through a similar phase in 1999-2000. That phase passed. You are going through a trough but it will pass. Give yourself 1-2 series before taking a call’,” the former star opener recalled.

Sehwag stayed on, regained form and went on to play a key role in India’s 2011 World Cup triumph. He finished his ODI career with 251 matches, 8,273 runs at an average of 35.05 and a strike rate of 104.33, including 15 centuries and 38 fifties.

ALSO READ

Sehwag on son’s cricket career

The former opener also spoke about his son Aryaveer’s budding cricket career. Aryaveer was selected for Delhi’s U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy squad in December 2023. Acknowledging the inevitable comparisons, Sehwag urged his son not to be weighed down.

“That pressure will always be on you, but you should not take that pressure. Pressure is something that you give, not take… Hope he goes on to play either for India or the Ranji Trophy,” Sehwag said.