Name : Virender Sehwag.
Nick name : Viru.
Date of Birth : 20 October, 1978.
Place of Birth : Delhi, India.
Batting Style : Right Handed Batsman.
Bowling Style : Right Arm off break.
Role : Opener and part time bowler.
ODI Debut : against Pakistan at Mohali in 1999.
TEST Debut : against South Africa at Bloemfontein in 2001.
Playing Teams : Delhi, India and Delhi Dare Devils (captain).
ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL CAREER::
About Batting:
Matches : 186(As on July2008)
Runs : 5461
Best : 130 vs. New Zealand Hyderabad in 2003.
Strike Rate : 96.88
Average : 31.06
100’s : 8
50’s : 25.
About Bowling::
Matches : 186
Wickets : 77
Best figures : 3/25.
Economy : 5.23run’s per over.
Average : 41.07
Catches : 72.
TEST CAREER::
About Batting:
Matches : 55(As on April 2008).
Runs : 4760.
Best : 319 vs. South Africa at Chennai in 2008.
Strike Rate : 78.28
Average : 53.75
100’s : 14.
50’s : 13.
About Bowling::
Matches : 55.
Wickets : 18.
Best figures : 4/71.
Economy : 4.37run’s per over.
Average : 41.61
Catches : 45.
Sehwag’s personal information::
Virender Sehwag born on 20 October 1978 in his home town Delhi and also known as “viru”. Sehwag is an extremely attacking right handed opening batsman and an occasional right arm off spin bowler. Sehwag married Aarti Alhawal in April 2004, which was hosted by “Arun jaitley” the union law minister of India at his residence. Sehwag also has on son born on October 18, 2007. Sehwag is son of a grain merchant, Sehwag spent his childhood in a bungalow in a joint family with siblings, uncles, aunts and sixteen cousins. Though now settled in New Delhi,, the Sehwag family hailed from Haryana. Sehwag was the third of their four children born to father Krishnan and mother Krishna Sehwag with two older sisters Manju and Anju and younger brother Vinod Sehwag attended “Arora Vidya School” in Delhi, and pestered his parents to let him play cricket. His father tried to end his career when he broke a tooth a child in 1990, but Sehwag evaded the ban with the help of his mother.
Sehwag is fondly referred to in the media as the “Nawab of Najafgarh”, Najafgarh being his home locality in Delhi. Sehwag is purely vegetarian, Sehwag favorites which opened in late 2005 in the fun Republic Cineplex in Delhi, following the footsteps of his role model Sachin Tendulkar. The majority of the products on the menu are named after clicking themes related to his memorable innings, such as “Multan ke Sultan ki Takdi” meaning dish for three persons, which alludes to his triple century in Multan and is priced at 309rupees. There are plans to expand the chain across India with a second outlet already planned in Ludhiana Sehwag does charity work for UNICEF. Sehwag basically known for the aggressive batting and hard hitter of cricket ball. He like’s to hit every ball which he plays. Starting his style of batting looked as if Sachin was batting; his batting style was same as like Sachin Tendulkar. The shots which he would play to off drive, on drive, straight drive and flick would like Same as if Sachin is batting at that end.
Starting from his carrier::
Sehwag started playing cricket from his childhood. His father’ support was also with him. Sehwag made his debut for Delhi Cricket team in first class cricket in the 1997-98 season then he was selected to the North Zone cricket team for the Duleep Trophy following with 1998-99 season. That year he was fourth on the Duleep Trophy run scoring list, including a 274, and it was top score of that tournament. He played brilliant knock against Punjab in Ranji Trophy and then he was selected for the under-19 team, national team which toured South Africa. He made many runs at the starting and stood seventh in 2000-01 season with two centuries in the scoring list. His performance earned to make the selectors as a regular member of the national team. Although he was playing for India and continued to play for his home team Delhi in the domestic cricket and had many victories under his belt.
Sehwag made his ODI debut against Pakistan in Mohali in April 1999, but he scored only just one run in that match and he was picked into the team as an all rounder and middle order batsman who can bat, but he could not impress with his bat or bowl by his performance, he could impress everyone when he scored 58 off 54balls against Australia in Bangalore and also took 3wickets which helped India to victory and was also awarded his first “Man of the Match” award. His aggressive batting made selectors and management to think about him to promote his batting order and from there he became genuine opener batsman for India. Sehwag scored his first century in 69 balls against New Zealand and it was also second fastest century behind Mohammad Azharuddin (62 balls). This performance made him the regular spot in ODI squad and made permanent fixture at the top of the innings. In the England series and the preceding tour to South Africa he compiled 426 runs at 42.6 with four half centuries. After modest returns on the tours of the West Indies and England in early and mid 2007 he scored 271runs at 90.33 in the 2002 ICC champions Trophy in Sri Lanka with two “Man of the Match” performances.
Virender Sehwag had a mediocre 2003 cricket World cup scoring 299 runs at an average of 27, he top scored with 82 in the loss against Australia in the final. In spite of his great performances and brilliant knocks he played which helped India to victory in most matches struggled for consistency in 2003 and 2003/04 ODI series, but even with his inconsistency form he earned 3 “Man of he Match” awards in 2004 and 2004/05 ODI season. When ever he scored century for India his strike rate would be more than 100, later his scoring rate has translated into significant contributions in ODI format to pick him into Test cricket. Sehwag was dropped from the ODI squad for the West Indies 4 match ODI series with debate over whether he needs to be included in the 2007 cricket world cup squad, but by the insistence of captain Dravid Sehwag was picked into the world cup squad, despite Sehwag’s form continued to decline. In ODI cricket Sehwag has enjoyed the most success against New Zealand scoring 4 of his eight centuries whilst averaging 45 in 16 games. Sehwag‘s worst record is against world champions Australia where he averages only 22 in 17 games.
Coming onto his Test cricket, he made Test debut against South Africa a Bloemfontein in 2001 as a middle order batsman. He scored 105 on debut despite the South African win. After scoring 2 half centuries in the preceding series against England and Zimbabwe he was promoted to make shift opener on the 2002 England tour after the failure of previous openers. He scored 84& a century at that position after promoting .His maiden home century came against West Indies in the 2002=03 season in Mumbai. In early 2004, he became the only Indian to score a triple century in Test history with 309 against Pakistan in the First Test in Multan, beating V.V.S Lax man’s previous Indian record and Indian went on to win that month with his great effort. He later auctioned the bat with which he made the triple century for Rs. 70,000 to aid in relief efforts for the Tsunami victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. Sehwag passed the 300 run mark in Tests during the Bangalore Test, becoming the fastest Indian to reach the mark in terms of innings played. His performances over the preceding 12 months earned him selection in the ICC Test team of the year as well as nomination for Test player of the year. Sehwag is also involved in a 410run partnership with Captain Rahul Dravid. The highest ever against Pakistan and just 4short of a new world record opening partnership in Test matches. Poor form saw Sehwag being dropped from the Test team in 2007. He made his come back in the third Test at the WACA in Perth against Australia and scored 151 second innings of the fourth Test in Adelaide. Sehwag continued his good form against South Africa in the home series in April 2008, scoring 319 in the first Test in Chennai.
Sehwags’s 14 Test centuries were............
~ 3 against Australia (Best: 195 at Melbourne, Australia in 2003).
~ 2 against West Indies (Best: 180 at Gros Islet, Port of Spain in 2006).
~ 1 against England (Best: 106 at Nottingham in 2002).
~3 against South Africa (Best: 319 at Chennai, India in 2008).
~ 4against Pakistan (Best: 309 at Multan, Pakistan in 2004).
~ 1 against New Zealand (Best: 130 at Mohali, India in 2003).
And his 8 ODI centuries were………………………
~1 against Bermuda (Best: 114 at Port of Spain, Trinidad in 2007).
~ 1 against England (Best: 126 at Colombo in 2002)..
~ 1 against Pakistan (Best: 108 at Kochi in 2005).
~ 4 against New Zealand (Best: 130 at Hyderabad, India in 2003).
~ 1 against West Indies (Best: 114 at Rajkot in 2002).
Sehwag in Indian premier League(IPL::
Virender sehwag is a captain of Delhi Dare Devils owned by bollywood star “Akshay Kumar”. Under his team there were great guns like Glenn McGrath(Australia), Mohammad Asif(Pakistan) were included and at the opening slot there were two masters he and his home team team opening partner Gautham gambhir. He and Gautham performed so brilliantly on the top slot and they won first 2 matches quite comfortably. He was proud of his team and name of his team i.e. Dare Devils. He was happy that he had great players like Devilliars (South Africa), Gambhir, Shoaib Malik (Pakistan), Dinesh Kart hick, Manoj Tiwari and Dilshan (Sri Lanka) and they were all hard hitters of the cricket ball, and in the bowling department his top guns were Glenn McGrath, Daniel Vettori and Asif. Already sehwag was known especially for aggressive batting and with him Gambhir in the openings slot made them unbreakable, whenever they opened they were unstoppable by any team in IPL. They both were much experienced; as they have played for there home town Delhi. Sehwag and Gambhir would give great start for his team and rest of players would support them including bowling department .They won their first match against Rajasthan Royals who were champions of IPL by quite handsomely. They played 14 League matches in which they won 7 of them and one ending with no result and they were also qualified to semis and lost by Chennai Super kings who lead by Dhoni. In IPL sehwag’s top score was 94* against Deccan Chargers (Hyderabad) in just 41 balls).
Some Achievements and records of Sehwag::
~ He is the third batsman to score two triple centuries in Test cricket behind sir Donald Brad man and Brian Lara.
~ He holds the record for scoring fastest century (off 69 balls) against New Zealand and fastest fifty (off 22 balls) against Kenya.
~ He holds the highest score by an Indian batsman in Test cricket (319 off 278 balls against South Africa at Chennai on 2008).
~ Consecutive 150 plus scores in Test cricket. He holds the record for consecutive Test hundreds converted to scores of 150plus for 10 times.
~ He also holds the record of scoring fastest triple century of 278 balls in Test history against South Africa.
~ He won 14 “Man of Match” awards in ODI’s.