Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag also known as “Viru” is an Indian cricketer (batsman) and member of the Indian national cricket team since 1999 (one-dayers) and 2001 (Tests). He is an extremely attacking right-handed opening batsman and an occasional right-arm off-spin bowler.

In the 1997-98 season Sehwag debuted in first class cricket for Delhi cricket team. In the 1998-99 season for the Duleep Trophy he was chosen in the North Zone cricket team and he finished fifth in the overall runscoring roster.

Further Sehwag was a part of the U-19 team that toured South Africa. In the 2000-01 season he was ranked 7th with 2 centuries. Due to his consistent performance the selectors attention was drawn towards him and he in mid 2001 is was selected in the national team.

Although Sehwag was busy in his international career he did not cease to play in the domestic competition for Delhi when he was not involved in international duty. In 2004-05 and 2005-06 the Deodhar Trophy was won by the North Zone under Sehwag’s captaincy. In 2003 for a brief period he played county cricket with Leicestershire however a back injury resulted in termination of his contract.

During the 2003 Cricket World Cup, Sehwag put up a mediocre show of just 299 runs with average of 27 however in the final against Australia he top scored with 82. In the same year while playing against New Zealand at Hyderabad he was awarded the Man of the Match award for his fourth century. He scored 130 and was involved in a 182 run partnership with Tendulkar that resulted in a 145 run victory.

He was appointed as vice-captain of the Indian team under Rahul Dravid in October 2005; until poor form saw him replaced by V. V. S. Laxman in December 2006 as Test vice captain and January 2007 saw him dropped from the ODI team and later from the test team as well. In 2008 Sehwag was also a part of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He represented the Delhi Daredevils.

Major achievements

• Sehwag is one of the only three players to have scored two triple hundreds, along with Don Bradman and Brian Lara.
• Man of the series award against Pakistan in 2004-05 test series.