File photo of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar (front).© AFP
Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag turned 45 on Friday. Wishes started pouring in from all quarters for the ex-Indian opener and one of the most special was the wish from his former batting partner and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. He wished Sehwag to have a boring birthday. Tendulkar expressed the rationale behind it by saying that Sehwag does the exact opposite of what he asks him to do. “Once when I told him to go slow and stay on the crease, he said ‘okay’ and then hit the next ball for four. Happy birthday to the man who likes to do the exact opposite of what I say .So, I’m going to say, please have a boring birthday, Viru,” Tendulkar wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Once when I told him to go slow and stay on the crease, he said, “Okay” and then hit the next ball for four runs. Congratulations to the man who likes to do the exact opposite of what I say.
So I’m going to say, please have a boring birthday, Viru. pic.twitter.com/i45fSXvvtV— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) October 20, 2023
Sehwag amassed a total of 8,586 runs from 104 Tests which he played at an average of 49.34, besides scoring 8,273 runs from 251 ODIs. The former opener also featured in 19 T20Is for India and scored 394 runs.
Sehwag built an incredible career through the constant pursuit of boundaries and the flair to break them. With minimal footwork but immense determination, he piled up Test runs at a faster pace than anyone in the history of cricket. Bowlers felt confident about their chances against a batsman who played so many strokes; it’s just that Sehwag was much more confident in his chances against them.
At his peak, the ‘Nawab of Najfgarh’ was a threatening presence with his strong cuts and creaking drives. With his zeal and ferocious approach to scoring points quickly, he developed an incredible career.
The cricketer went on to amass more than 16,000 runs for India across all formats, cementing his place in the pantheon of Indian cricket.
(With ANI inputs)
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