Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag Profile

Virender Sehwag has constructed an extraordinary career with a relentless quest, and a genius, for boundary hitting. With minimal footwork but maximum intent, he has piled Test runs at a faster pace than anyone in the history of cricket. Bowlers must always fancy their chances against a batsman who plays so many strokes; it's just that Sehwag fancies his chances against them much more.

As a starry-eyed youngster from Najafgarh, where his family ran a flour mill, Sehwag grew up, like many others from his generation, wanting to be Sachin Tendulkar. Indeed, when he scored his first one-day hundred, filling up for his injured idol against New Zealand in Sri Lanka, he could have been mistaken for him: there was the same back-foot punch on the off side, the minimalistic straight drive and the wristy whip to the leg. And on his Test debut, on a fiery pitch in Bloemfontein, he matched the master stroke for stroke as they both blazed away to hundreds. But soon he emerged his own man, and not long after Tendulkar was playing a supporting, and somewhat calming, hand as Sehwag romped away to a triple-hundred, the first by an Indian, in Multan, bringing it up with a six. Two Tests ago, he had been dismissed trying the same stroke five short of what would have been his first Test double-hundred.

His uncomplicated approach - batting is all about scoring as many runs as quickly as possible - belies a sharp and street-smart cricket mind. He has a keen grasp of his own, and his opponents', strengths and weaknesses and exploits them in a forensic manner. What appears risky to many, is merely an opportunity for him, and his lack of footwork, which does get him in trouble against the moving ball, is mostly an advantage, for it creates space for his brilliant handwork. Few batsmen have hit the ball harder square on the off side, and fewer still have hit them as frequently. And the sight of a spinner brings the savage out in him: and for many spectacular assaults against the world's leading spinners, there have numerous outrageous dismissals against the not-so-reputed ones.

The most remarkable aspect of Sehwag's career of course has been his ability to build massive Test scores at breathtaking speed. He holds the Indian record for highest number of Test double-hundreds, and came within seven runs of becoming the first batsman to score three triple-hundreds. That innings, against Sri Lanka at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, epitomised the Sehwag brand of batsmanship: a mix of imagination, daring, power, skills, and clarity of vision.

He is equally refreshing off the field and shares his views on the game in an endearingly direct and candid manner, a rare trait among contemporary cricketers. He is, in every sense, a true original.

Full name Virender Sehwag

Born October 20, 1978, Delhi

Current age 32 years 31 days

Major teams India, Asia XI, Delhi, Delhi Daredevils, ICC World XI, India Blue, Leicestershire, Rajasthan Cricket Association President's XI

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak

Batting and fielding averages

    Mat     Inns     NO     Runs     HS     Ave     BF     SR     100     50     4s     6s     Ct     St
Tests     83     143     6     7476     319     54.56     9115     82.01     22     25     1069     83     63     0
ODIs     228     222     9     7380     146     34.64     7146     103.27     13     36     1019     121     84     0
T20Is     14     13     0     313     68     24.07     204     153.43     0     2     34     14     1     0
First-class     147     244     10     11981     319     51.20             36     43             122     0
List A     298     287     14     9333     146     34.18             14     53             108     0
Twenty20     66     65     4     1609     94*     26.37     1010     159.30     0     11     196     63     10     0

Bowling averages

    Mat     Inns     Balls     Runs     Wkts     BBI     BBM     Ave     Econ     SR     4w     5w     10
Tests     83     81     3249     1643     39     5/104     5/118     42.12     3.03     83.3     0     1     0
ODIs     228     140     4230     3716     92     4/6     4/6     40.39     5.27     45.9     1     0     0
T20Is     14     1     6     20     0     -     -     -     20.00     -     0     0     0
First-class     147         7988     4143     104     5/104         39.83     3.11     76.8         1     0
List A     298         5835     5009     138     4/6     4/6     36.29     5.15     42.2     3     0     0
Twenty20     66     20     292     393     19     3/14     3/14     20.68     8.07     15.3     0     0     0

Test debut     South Africa v India at Bloemfontein, Nov 3-6, 2001

Last Test     India v New Zealand at Hyderabad (Deccan), Nov 12-16, 2010

ODI debut    India v Pakistan at Mohali, Apr 1, 1999
Last ODI    Sri Lanka v India at Dambulla, Aug 28, 2010

T20I debut     South Africa v India at Johannesburg, Dec 1, 2006
Last T20I     India v Sri Lanka at Mohali, Dec 12, 2009

First-class debut     1997/98
Last First-class     India v New Zealand at Hyderabad (Deccan), Nov 12-16, 2010
List A debut     1997/98
Last List A     Sri Lanka v India at Dambulla, Aug 28, 2010 

Twenty20 debut     Leicestershire v Yorkshire at Leicester, Jun 16, 2003 

Last Twenty20     Delhi Daredevils v Deccan Chargers at Delhi, Apr 18, 2010