Virender Sehwag facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Virender Sehwag

Sehwag in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Virender Sehwag
Born	(1978-10-20) 20 October 1978 (age 46) Najafgarh, Delhi, India
Nickname	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 batter
International information
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
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1997–2014	Delhi
2015	Haryana
2003	Leicestershire
2008–2013	Delhi Daredevils
2014	Marylebone Cricket Club
2014–2015	Kings XI Punjab
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 104 251 194 332 Runs scored 8,586 8,273 14,683 10,454 Batting average 49.34 35.05 47.36 34.05 100s/50s 23/32 15/38 42/55 16/57 Top score 319 219 319 219 Balls bowled 3,731 4,392 8,614 6,009 Wickets 40 96 105 142 Bowling average 47.35 40.13 42.57 36.29 5 wickets in innings 1 0 1 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0 Best bowling 5/104 4/6 5/104 4/6 Catches/stumpings 91/– 93/– 166/– 120/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  India ICC Cricket World Cup Winner 2011 India-Bangladesh-Sri Lanka Runner-up 2003 South Africa-Zimbabwe-Kenya ICC T20 World Cup Winner 2007 South Africa ICC Champions Trophy Winner 2002 Sri Lanka ACC Asia Cup Winner 2010 Sri Lanka Runner-up 2004 Sri Lanka Runner-up 2008 Pakistan
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 6 January 2016

Virender Sehwag (born 20 October 1978) is a famous former Indian cricket player. He played for India from 1999 to 2013. Many people think he was one of the most exciting opening batsmen of his time.

Sehwag played for Delhi Capitals in the IPL. He also played for Delhi and Haryana in Indian cricket. He batted right-handed and started his first One Day International (ODI) match in 1999. He joined the Indian Test team in 2001.

In April 2009, Sehwag became the first Indian player to be named the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World. He won this award for his great performance in 2008. He was also the first player from any country to win the award again in 2009. Sehwag sometimes led the Indian team when the main captain was not available. He was also the Vice-Captain for the Indian squad.

During his time with India, Sehwag helped the team win several big tournaments. These include the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy, the 2007 T20 World Cup, and the 2011 Cricket World Cup. In the 2002 ICC Champions Trophy, he scored the most runs with 271. In 2023, he was added to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

Sehwag holds many amazing records. He made the highest score by an Indian in Test cricket (319 runs). This happened against South Africa in Chennai. It was also the fastest triple century in international cricket history. He reached 300 runs in only 278 balls. Sehwag also holds the record for the fastest 250 runs by any batsman. He did this in 207 balls against Sri Lanka in 2009.

Sehwag is one of only four batsmen in the world to score over 300 runs twice in Test cricket. He also has the highest strike rate in Test matches among batsmen with at least 3000 Test runs. His Test strike rate is 82.23. In March 2009, Sehwag hit what was then India's fastest century in ODI cricket. He scored it in just 60 balls.

On 8 December 2011, he scored his first double century in ODI cricket. This was against the West Indies. He became the second batsman after Sachin Tendulkar to achieve this. His score of 219 runs off 149 balls was the highest individual score in ODI cricket at that time. Later, Rohit Sharma broke this record. Sehwag is one of only two players in the world to score a double century in an ODI and a triple century in a Test match. The other player is Chris Gayle.

Sehwag was made vice-captain of the Indian team in October 2005. This was under Rahul Dravid. However, he was later replaced due to poor performance. He returned to form in 2008 and became vice-captain again. By early 2009, Sehwag was again one of the best ODI batsmen.

Sehwag stopped playing all forms of international cricket on 20 October 2015. Today, he works as a member of the Anti Doping Appeal Panel. This is part of the National Anti-Doping Agency in India.

Early Life and Cricket Start

Virender Sehwag was born into a Jat family. His father was a grain merchant. He grew up in a large family with many relatives. Even though his family lives in New Delhi now, they are originally from Haryana.

Sehwag was the third of four children. He had two older sisters and a younger brother. His father said that Sehwag's love for cricket started when he was just seven months old. He was given a toy bat then. Sehwag went to Arora Vidya School in Delhi. He kept asking his parents to let him play cricket. He told them he was not very good at studies.

Early in his career, he was known as an attacking batsman. His coach was Amar Nath Sharma. In 1990, his father tried to stop him from playing cricket after he broke a tooth. But Sehwag's mother helped him keep playing. Later, he studied at Jamia Milia Islamia for his graduation.

Playing for Teams in India

Starting in First-Class Cricket

Sehwag began playing first-class cricket for the Delhi cricket team in the 1997–98 season. The next season, 1998–99, he was chosen for the North Zone cricket team for the Duleep Trophy. He was among the top five run-scorers.

In February 1999, he played for the Board President's XI team against the touring Pakistan. He scored 66 runs off 83 balls in the first innings. That year, he was fourth in the Duleep Trophy for runs scored. He even made a huge score of 274 runs against South Zone. He scored these runs in just 327 balls. Before that, he made a quick 187 runs in a Ranji Trophy match.

He was then picked for the Under-19 team that went to South Africa. In the 2000–01 season, he scored two centuries. His consistent play caught the eye of selectors. He became a regular player for the national team in mid-2001.

Playing for Delhi and Other Teams

Even after starting his international career, Sehwag kept playing for Delhi. He played for them when he was not busy with international matches. He also led North Zone to win the Deodhar Trophy in 2004–05 and 2005–06.

In 2003, he played for Leicestershire in England for a short time. But a back injury made him end his contract early.

Indian Premier League (IPL)

Sehwag was the captain of the Delhi Daredevils for the first two seasons of the Indian Premier League. He later stepped down to focus more on his batting. For the 2011 IPL season, he was the only player kept by the team. He was again made captain of the Delhi Daredevils.

Sehwag led the team again in the 2012 IPL season. He set a record by being the only batsman to score five half-centuries in a row in T20 matches. For the 10-year anniversary of the IPL, he was also named in the all-time ESPNcricinfo IPL team.

International Cricket Career

One Day International (ODI) Journey

Sehwag's ODI career started slowly. He scored only 1 run against Pakistan in April 1999. He did not get another chance in the national team for 20 months.

Sehwag with teammates Harbhajan Singh (left) and Yuvraj Singh (middle)

Sehwag became well-known in his fourth ODI match in March 2001. He scored 58 runs off 54 balls against Australia. He also took three wickets. This helped India win and earned him his first "man of the match" award.

His big breakthrough came in Sri Lanka in August 2001. He was asked to open the batting because Sachin Tendulkar was injured. In a match against New Zealand, he scored his first century. He reached 100 runs in just 69 balls. This was the third fastest ODI century for an Indian at that time. This performance helped him get a regular spot in the ODI team. He later broke his own record with a 60-ball century against New Zealand in 2009.

In January 2002, Sehwag got another chance to open the innings. He scored 82 runs off 64 balls against England. With his good performances as an opener, Sehwag became a permanent opening batsman. Sachin Tendulkar, who used to open, moved to the middle order. This strategy worked well for India in 2002.

In late 2002, he scored an unbeaten 114 runs off 82 balls. This helped India win by nine wickets against the West Indies. He was the only batsman to score a century in the 7-match series against New Zealand. He made 108 runs in one match and 112 runs in another.

Facing Challenges in Form

Sehwag had a difficult 2003 Cricket World Cup. He scored 299 runs but only averaged 27. He scored 82 runs in the final against Australia, but India lost.

Sehwag waits at the bowler's end.

Later in 2003, he scored his fourth century against New Zealand. He made 130 runs and helped India win by 145 runs. Despite this, Sehwag struggled to play consistently in 2003 and 2003/04. He only scored one century and three half-centuries in 22 matches.

Dominating the Game

Even with his inconsistent form, he won three "Man of the Match" awards in 2004/05. He won one against Sri Lanka, one against Bangladesh, and one against Pakistan. In the match against Pakistan, he scored 108 runs off 95 balls. This was his first century in 18 months.

For his great play in 2004, the ICC named him in the World ODI XI team. Sehwag then went two years without scoring a century in ODIs. He also had to leave a tour of Pakistan early in 2006 due to a shoulder injury. His lack of big scores in limited-overs cricket puzzled experts. This was because he was playing so well in Test matches.

Sehwag was dropped from the ODI team in 2006. There was a debate about whether he should be in the 2007 Cricket World Cup squad. But captain Rahul Dravid insisted he stay. Sehwag started the 2007 World Cup poorly. He scored only a few runs in the first match. But he then hit a great 114 runs off 87 balls against Bermuda. The Indian team scored 413 runs, which was the highest total in a World Cup match. They won this match, but it was their only win in the tournament.

On 11 March 2009, Sehwag hit India's fastest ODI century against New Zealand. He reached 100 runs in just 60 balls. He helped India win their first series in New Zealand.

On 8 December 2011, Sehwag scored his highest ODI score against the West Indies in Indore. He smashed 219 runs off only 149 balls. In the same innings, he also passed 8,000 runs in ODI cricket. This innings was voted the best ODI batting performance of the year by ESPNcricinfo. For his performances in 2011, the ICC named him in the World ODI XI.

Sehwag's scoring rate is very fast. He scores 103.44 runs per 100 balls. He has been more successful when chasing runs, scoring seven of his fifteen centuries while chasing. He has led India seven times when the regular captain was not available. In December 2011, Sehwag scored 219 runs against the West Indies. This is the second-highest individual score in ODI history.

For his performances in 2009, the ICC named him in the World ODI XI. ESPNcricinfo also named him in their World ODI XI for 2008 and 2011.

Test Cricket Achievements

This graph shows Sehwag's runs scored (red bars) and his average over the last ten innings (blue line) in Test matches.

Sehwag's first century in mid-2001 was not enough to get him into the Test team. He made his Test debut in late 2001 against South Africa. He scored 105 runs in his first match, even though South Africa won. He was later promoted to open the batting during the 2002 England tour. He scored 84 runs at Lord's and then a century in the Second Test. He has opened the batting in Test matches ever since.

He scored his first home century of 147 runs against the West Indies in 2002–03. This was his highest score in Test matches at the time. After a difficult tour to New Zealand, he scored 130 runs in a Test match against New Zealand in late 2003.

In early 2004, he became the first Indian to score a triple century in Test cricket. He made 309 runs against Pakistan in Multan. This broke V. V. S. Laxman's previous Indian record of 281 runs. It helped India score a huge total of 675 runs. This was Sehwag's sixth Test century in 21 Tests. India won the match, and Sehwag was named "man of the match." He later sold the bat he used for the triple century to help victims of the 2004 tsunami.

In the 2004 Border–Gavaskar Trophy, Sehwag was fined for disagreeing with an umpire's decision. Replays showed he was right, and the umpire later apologized. Sehwag scored 155 runs in the Chennai Test match. This gave India a big lead, but the match ended in a draw due to rain. In the home series against South Africa that year, he scored 164 runs in a drawn Test and 88 runs in another match. India won the series, and Sehwag was again named "man of the series."

Sehwag did not perform well in Bangladesh. But in the 2005 home series against Pakistan, he scored 173 runs, 81 runs, and then 201 runs. He scored a total of 544 runs, averaging 90.66, and won the "man of the series" award. He passed 3000 runs in Tests during the Bangalore Test. He became the fastest Indian to reach this mark. His performances earned him a spot in the ICC Test Team of the Year. He was also nominated for Test player of the year.

He was chosen for the ICC World XI team that played Australia in 2005. He scored 76 runs in the first innings. He faced some criticism at the end of 2005 for not scoring over 50 runs in four Tests. He also missed a Test due to illness. But he returned and led India to victory when Rahul Dravid was sick. For his performances in 2005, the ICC named him in the World Test XI.

Sehwag bowling in the nets.

Sehwag scored his first century in a year when he made 254 runs against Pakistan in January 2006. This was the highest Test score ever at a strike rate over 100. He was part of a 410-run partnership with captain Rahul Dravid. This was the highest partnership ever against Pakistan.

During the 2006 West Indies tour, Sehwag almost scored a century in the first session of a Test match. He ended up with 99 runs at the break. He went on to score 180 runs in just 190 balls. He also took four wickets in the match and was named "man of the match." He was used more as a bowler on this tour.

Poor form led to Sehwag being dropped from the Test team in 2007. In December 2007, he was called back for India's tour of Australia. This happened after many experts asked for his return. He played a key role in India's victory in the third Test. He scored 72 runs quickly and took two important wickets. He scored a match-saving 151 runs in the fourth Test in Adelaide. This was his first century in the second innings of a Test match. He played more defensively, which was needed at the time.

Sehwag continued his good form against South Africa in April 2008. He scored 319 runs in the first Test in Chennai. He reached 300 runs in just 278 balls. This was the fastest triple century in Test history. Sehwag became only the third batsman to score two triple centuries in Test cricket. The others were Sir Donald Bradman and Brian Lara. He scored 257 runs on the third day of the match. This was the most runs scored by a batsman in a single day of a Test match since 1954.

He is known for scoring big centuries. His last eleven centuries were all over 150 runs. This includes two triple centuries and three double centuries. This broke Sir Donald Bradman's record of seven consecutive centuries over 150. His score of 201 not out was voted the Best Test Batting Performance of 2008 by ESPNcricinfo.

In the first Test against England in December 2008, Sehwag scored a quick 83 runs off 68 balls. This helped India chase a record target of 387 runs. He won the "man of the match" award. For his performances in 2008, the ICC and ESPNcricinfo named him in the World Test XI.

He has a great record against Pakistan, averaging over 90 against them. He has scored four centuries against India's rival. During Sri Lanka's tour of India in 2009, he was the highest run-scorer with 491 runs. In the last Test match, he made 293 runs. India won the match because of this. In this innings, he set many records:

• He scored the second fastest 200 runs.
• He scored the fastest 250 runs in just 207 balls.
• He scored the third-highest runs on a single day (284 not out).

He almost became the only player to score three triple centuries. He was caught out just seven runs short. This innings included 40 fours and 7 sixes. He said it was his third best innings after his two triple centuries. This innings was voted the Best Test Batting Performance of 2009 by ESPNcricinfo. For his performances in 2010, the ICC named him in the World Test XI.

Retirement from Cricket

On 20 October 2015, Sehwag announced that he was retiring from all forms of cricket. This included the IPL. On 7 November 2015, Sehwag scored 55 runs in the first game of the Cricket All-Stars Twenty20 series. He played for Sachin's Blasters. He was the only player in that match to score a half-century, hit five or more sixes, and have a strike rate over 150.

How Virender Sehwag Played Cricket

Virender Sehwag plays a hook shot

When he was young, many people compared Sehwag to Sachin Tendulkar. This was because they had similar batting styles and looks. Sehwag has said many times that he tried to copy Tendulkar's style when he was younger.

Sehwag's batting style was often seen as unusual. He would sometimes move away from the stumps to hit the ball harder. He was known for his powerful square cuts and upper cuts. He was also very good at the late cut. He often hit the ball in the air, which was risky but exciting. This showed his brave and adventurous way of playing. He was also known for not moving his feet much. His good timing was often due to his excellent eyesight.

Virender Sehwag takes strike for MCC

Virender Sehwag is famous for his very attacking batting style. In 2005, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack called him the "most exciting opener in the world." This was because of his aggressive style in Test matches. His strike rate was only lower than Adam Gilchrist and Shahid Afridi. Sehwag was also known for hitting the ball hard no matter what the match situation was. This helped him not worry about past failures. Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer called him a "sophisticated slogger." Over the years, his style changed from "reckless hitting" to "controlled aggression."

As of March 2010, Sehwag averaged almost 68 runs in the first innings of Test matches. He scored 5,130 runs, 18 centuries, and 12 half-centuries in 76 matches. In the second innings, his average dropped to 31 runs. He scored 1,561 runs with only one century and 9 half-centuries in 54 innings. This difference shows he sometimes struggled when the pitch became harder to bat on. However, his 151 runs in the second innings against Australia in 2007–08 helped save the match. He also scored a match-winning 92 runs in difficult conditions in 2008–09.

In the 2008 Test series against England, Sehwag played a key role. He scored 83 runs off 68 balls in the fourth innings. This helped India chase a very high target of 387 runs. This was the highest successful run chase in India. Sehwag was named "Man of the Match" for this effort.

He has a notable record against Pakistan, averaging over 90 runs against them. He has scored four centuries against India's main rival. In eight Test matches since April 2012, he scored only 408 runs. His average was 31.38. In six ODIs during the same time, he scored 183 runs with an average of 30.5. He was then dropped from the ODI team. His last ODI century was the double century against the West Indies in December 2011.

He was voted the 4th-scariest batsman to face by international bowlers.

Personal Life

Sehwag married Aarti Ahlawat in April 2004. Their wedding was a big event with lots of security. The couple has two sons. Their first son, Aryavir, was born on 18 October 2007. Their second son, Vedant, was born in 2010.

Sehwag is known for singing while he bats. He said his favorite song to sing while batting is "Chala Jaata Hoon" by Kishore Kumar.

In 2011, Sehwag started the Sehwag International School in Jhajjar, Haryana. This school is about 65 kilometers west of Delhi. His mother opened the school. It was his father's dream to have a place where students could study, live, train, and play sports. After he scored his second triple century, the Haryana government offered Sehwag land for a cricket academy. But he asked to open a school instead to fulfill his father's dream. Sehwag appeared on the Indian Idol show in 2017. He said that 22 students from his school had played for national and state teams in various sports in the past two years.

International Centuries

Sehwag's aggressive batting style helped him succeed as an opening batsman. He scored centuries (100 or more runs) 22 times in Test cricket and 15 times in One Day International (ODI) matches. In Tests, Sehwag has scored centuries against almost all Test-playing nations. He is sixth on the list of leading Test century makers for India. In 2001, he became the eleventh Indian player to score a century in his first Test match. He made 105 runs against South Africa. He scored his centuries at fourteen different cricket grounds, with eight of them outside India.

He has scored 200 runs or more six times, which is the most by an Indian batsman. A record three of these big scores were against Pakistan. Sehwag is the first Indian to score a triple century (300 or more runs). He has done this twice: 309 runs against Pakistan in Multan in 2004, and 319 runs against South Africa in Chennai in 2008. The 319-run innings was the fastest triple century in Test cricket, reaching 300 runs in just 278 balls. In ODIs, Sehwag's first century was against New Zealand in 2001. His highest score of 219 runs, which was the highest ODI score ever at the time, was against the West Indies in Indore. He has also been dismissed five times when he was in the nineties (between 90 and 99 runs).

Awards and Special Recognitions

• Arjuna Award (2002)
• 2007 – Polly Umrigar Award for International cricketer of the year
• Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World 2008, 2009
• ICC Test Player of the Year 2010
• Padma Shree 2010
• On 31 October 2017, the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) honored Sehwag. They named Gate No.2 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium after him.

Records Held by Virender Sehwag

International Records

• He is the only batsman in history to score over 7,500 runs in both Tests and ODIs as an opener.
• He holds the record for the fastest Test triple century (300 runs), which he scored in 278 balls.
• He has the second fastest 250 runs in Tests, taking 207 balls.
• He has the third fastest Test double century (200 runs) based on balls faced. He also has four of the top ten fastest Test double centuries.
• He scored the second fastest ODI double century, taking 140 balls.
• His score of 219 is the third-highest individual score in ODIs.
• He hit the second-highest number of fours in a Test innings (47).
• He hit the second-highest number of fours in an ODI innings (25).
• He has the highest Test score ever at a strike rate of over 100 (319 runs).
• He is the second fastest in the world to reach 7000 Test runs.
• He has scored the most triple centuries in Tests (2), sharing this record with Don Bradman, Brian Lara, and Chris Gayle.
• He has the most scores of 290+ in Tests (3), sharing this record with Don Bradman.
• He has the second-highest number of 250-plus Test scores (4).
• He is the only cricketer in Test history to score two triple centuries and take five wickets in an innings.
• He scored the third-highest Test runs in a single day (284 runs). This happened against Sri Lanka in 2009. These are also the most Test runs scored by any batsman in a day since 1933.
• He has the highest Test batting strike rate among all cricketers with over 2,000 Test runs.
• He has the second-highest ODI batting strike rate among all cricketers with over 2,000 ODI runs. He has the highest among ODI openers.
• He converted 11 consecutive Test centuries into scores of 150+ runs.
• He is the only cricketer to be part of two consecutive double-century partnerships in a Test innings. He did this twice.
• Sehwag and Graham Gooch are the only batsmen to score more than 60% of their team's runs while batting through a completed Test innings.
• He holds the highest score by a captain in an ODI innings (219 runs).

National Records (India)

• He scored the most international runs in his career as an opener (16,119 runs).
• He was the first Indian batsman to score a Test triple century.
• He holds the record for the fastest 150, 200, 250, and 300 runs in Tests.
• He holds the record for the fastest 150 and 200 runs in ODIs.
• He scored the fastest ODI fifty and century, and the fastest Test century outside India.
• He holds the top two highest individual Test scores for India.
• He was the fastest Indian to reach 3000, 4000, and 7000 Test runs.
• He has the most Test double centuries for India (6), sharing this record with Sachin Tendulkar.
• He has the most 250-plus scores in Tests for India (4).
• He scored the most Test runs in a day for India (284 runs).
• He hit the highest number of fours in a Test innings for India (47).
• He is the only Indian to score over 1400 Test runs in a calendar year twice.
• He has the highest Test batting strike rate among all Indian cricketers with over 1,000 Test runs.
• He has the highest ODI batting strike rate among all Indian cricketers with over 1,000 ODI runs.
• He hit the most sixes in a Test career for India (91).
• He scored the most runs from boundaries in a Test innings for India (202).
• Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar are the only Indian cricketers to hit over 1000 fours in both Tests and ODIs.
• He has the most 'Player of the Series' awards in Tests (5), sharing this record with Sachin Tendulkar.
• He has the third-highest 'Player of the Match' awards in Tests and ODIs (31).
• He was the first Indian to be named the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World.
• He holds the highest individual score while batting through a complete innings for India, scoring an unbeaten 201 runs in 2008.

Images for kids

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  Sehwag in 2012

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  Sehwag with teammates Harbhajan Singh (left) and Yuvraj Singh (middle)

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  Sehwag waits at the bowler's end.

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  An innings-by-innings breakdown of Sehwag's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).

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  Sehwag bowling in the nets.

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  Virender Sehwag plays a hook shot

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  Virender Sehwag takes strike for MCC