International Career
Virender Sehwag, born on October 20, 1978, in Najafgarh, Delhi, is widely regarded as one of India's most explosive cricketers. Known for his aggressive batting style, Sehwag revolutionized the way opening batsmen approached the game. He made his debut for India in 1999 and quickly became a fixture in the team. Sehwag’s fearless approach to batting earned him numerous records. His ability to dominate fast bowlers and spinners alike, combined with his natural flair, made him a match-winner for India. Sehwag’s entertaining and unconventional batting techniques, marked by his confident use of both front and back foot shots, made him a beloved figure among cricket fans worldwide.
Virender Sehwag’s career was marked by unforgettable moments of brilliance and fearless batting. In this section, we highlight key international performances that defined his legacy and shaped Indian cricket, showcasing his bold approach and impact on the game.
- April 01, 1999:In the 6th match of Pepsi Cup 1999, the high-voltage face-off between India and Pakistan at Mohali, ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ made his debut in ODI format for India. Though the debut did not go as planned, Sehwag was dismissed by Shoaib Akhtar by a clean LBW just after scoring a run, and it did help in collapsing the Indian batting line-up. In bowling, Sehwag faced another setback as he gave 35 runs in his 3 overs without any wickets, and Pakistan won the match by 7 wickets.
- November 03, 2001:In the India tour of South Africa of 2001, Sehwag made his test debut in the 1st test match at Bloemfontein. Coming at number 6, Sehwag scored a century in the first innings and helped India to set a decent lead. In the second innings, he was dismissed by Pollock again when he was batting at 31. Though India could not win the match, Sehwag’s future prolonged career was evident in the Indian team that day.
- March 28 - April 01, 2004:In the India tour of Pakistan in 2004, Sehwag played a historic inning against prime Pakistan at Multan. Batting first, India climbed on the massive lead of 675 with the help of Sehwag’s 309(375) score, which eventually helped India to win the match by an innings and 52 runs. He got the title of ‘Multan ka Sultan’ for his absolute batting masterclass.
- December 01, 2006:In the India tour of South Africa in 2006, Sehwag debuted in the Indian T20I jersey at Johannesburg. While chasing the target in the second innings, Sehwag was batting comfortably at 34 when he was dismissed by a run out unluckily. Despite this, India won the match by 6 wickets, and Sehwag declared his arrival in T20I too.
- March 26 - 30, 2008:In the South Africa tour of India in 20068, Sehwag displayed an absolute batting carnage in the 1st test at Chennai. Chasing down the mammoth 540, Sehwag set a jaw-dropping record for the fastest triple century in the history of test cricket in just 278 balls with the help of 42 fours and 5 sixes. In bowling, he took 1 wicket in both innings and helped India to draw the match with his batting prowess.
Indian Premier League
Virender Sehwag’s IPL career showcased his explosive batting prowess, making him one of the most entertaining players in the league’s history. Playing for teams like Delhi Daredevils(now Delhi Capitals) and Kings XI Punjab(now Punjab Kings), Sehwag consistently impressed with his aggressive approach at the top order. Throughout his IPL career, he accumulated a total of 2,728 runs in 104 matches, with an impressive strike rate of 155.44.
One of Sehwag’s standout IPL performances came in 2012, when he played a scintillating knock of 122 runs for Delhi Daredevils against the Chennai Super Kings, displaying his aggressive stroke play. His fearless batting, combined with his leadership qualities, made Sehwag a key figure in the IPL and an exciting player to watch throughout the tournament's history. Let us have a look into his IPL journey throughout the years.
Year | Information about participation in the tournament |
2008 IPL | In the inaugural season, Sehwag got his home team, Delhi as they picked him from the auction table in exchange for ₹ 3,33,50,000. In that season, Sehwag scored 406 runs in 14 matches with a blistering strike rate of 184.54. On April 22, in the 7th match of the tournament, Sehwag played an unbeaten knock of 94 against Deccan Chargers and helped Daredevils to win the match by 9 wickets. |
2009 IPL | In this season, Delhi retained him following his destructive batting showcase. But this season, he had a disappointing season and failed to perform up to the mark. He managed to score only 198 runs in the 11 matches he played with an average of 19.80. Though he scored some crucial runs in a few matches, the franchise expected more mature batting from him. |
2010 IPL | In this season, Delhi again retained him and Sehwag performed decently throughout the tournament. He scored 356 runs in 14 matches with a strike rate of 163.30. |
2011 IPL | In this season, Delhi showed utmost faith in Sehwag by training him with a whopping price of ₹ 8,28,00,000 from the auction table. He proved the management correct, scoring 424 runs in 11 matches with a strike rate of 176.66. |
2012 IPL | Sehwag played for Delhi in 2012, too, and had his career-best season in IPL this year. In 16 matches, he scored 495 runs with a strike rate of 161.23, and with the help of his fierce batting, Delhi swiftly transited into the playoffs. |
2013 IPL | In 2013, Sehwag had a mixed kind of IPL journey as he was irregular throughout the season. Though he was getting a few high scores, he failed to play consistently in league matches. He bagged 295 runs in 13 matches with a strike rate of 126.60. |
2014 IPL | In the 2014 IPL, Delhi released Sehwag, and Punjab made a brilliant strategic move by acquiring Sehwag with just ₹ 32,000,000 from the auction table. He proved their bet correct, scoring 455 runs in 17 matches with a strike rate of 144.44 and not only that, he achieved his IPL career-best score of 122 in just 58 balls against CSK in the semi-final and dragged his team to the final alone. |
2015 IPL | In this season, Punjab retained Sehwag, but he failed to deliver the desired performance to the fans. This was his last IPL season as he declared retirement by the end of 2015. It was a forgettable season for this legend as he managed to score only 99 runs in 8 matches with a poor average of 12.37. |
Records and Achievements
Sehwag has left a major impact on the history of cricket by creating astonishing records and milestones across all formats with his unbeatable aggressive batting and bowling skills. Let us take a glimpse at his awards and accolades:
Awards:
Sehwag is one of the most respected cricketers in the world and especially in India, which can be judged by the awards honoured to him, mentioned below-
- In 2023, he was welcomed into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
- The President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, honoured him with the Arjuna Award in 2002.
- Sehwag was presented the Polly Umrigar Award for International Cricketer of the Year in 2007.
- He was named in the Wisden Leading Cricketers in the World in 2008 and 2009.
- He was honoured with the Most Respected Padma Shree Award in 2010.
Records:
There were various moments when Sehwag left the world shocked with his performance that broke the record list without any difficulties. Let us go through some of his historical records:
- Sehwag holds the 3rd spot in the list of scoring the most runs in a single day of a test match with 284 runs.
- With 2 triple hundreds in his crown, Sehwag holds the record for scoring the most triple hundred in a career.
- Sehwag engraved his name in the history of cricket by scoring his maiden century on his test debut and became a member of very few cricketers who touched the feat to date.
- Virender Sehwag holds the record for the highest runs scored in an innings by a captain in ODI cricket. He achieved this at Indore against West Indies on 08 December 2011.
Personal Life
Virender Sehwag, also known as ‘Viru Paaji,’ is an iconic batsman ever witnessed by the Indian cricket team, was born on October 20, 1978, in Najafgarh, Delhi, India. Sehwag completed his schooling at Arora Vidya School in Najafgarh, Delhi and then pursued his graduation from the Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi. His father gifted him a toy bat, and since then, he has been a fan of cricket and started his practice in his school life. Sehwag established the Sehwag International School in the Jhajjar area of Haryana on the land offered to him after his second triple century by the Haryana Government. It was his father’s dream to have an institution to educate students in all aspects that he wanted to fulfill and the school was inaugurated by his mother.
Family Life
Virender Sehwag was born into a Jatt family; his father, Krishnan Sehwag, was a grain merchant in partnership with his family, and his mother, Krishna Devi, was a homemaker. Sehwag has three siblings, among them are his two elder sisters, ManjuSehwag and Anju Sehwag and a younger brother, Vinod Sehwag. He married his cousin's sister Aarti Ahlawat in April 2004, and the couple were blessed with their first baby, Aryavir Sehwag, on October 18, 2007, and their second baby boy, Vedant Sehwag, was born in 2010.
Financial Standing
Sehwag has summoned a lot of wealth from his various fields of work; he is even listed among the top 5 Cricketers in India. Reportedly, Virender Sehwag has generated a magnificent net worth of INR 350 crores (Approx.) from several sources, like his cricket contracts with BCCI, his IPL salaries, his income from commentary, endorsements, previous coaching salaries, earnings from his school, a pension from BCCI (INR 60-70 thousand), etc.
According to sources, he earns over INR 30 crore annually now and is earning around INR 24 crore only from his social media activities on some platforms like X and Instagram. Sehwag has been in association with many renowned brands such as Adidas, Reebok, Boost, Samsung, Hero Honda, Xiaomi, Fila, ICICI Bank, etc.
Cars and Houses
Being amongst the richest cricketers in the country and living a celebrity life, Sehwag has enjoyed immense riches. He is a real admirer of luxurious vehicles and owns some precious cars like a beautiful Bentley Flying Spur that is worth around INR 5.25 crore, a BMW 5 Series which cost him almost 73 lakhs, a BMW M5, which is worth around 2 crores and an Audi Q7 which costs approximately INR 98 lakhs.
Sehwag’s bungalow in Delhi is a testament to the best house owned by any cricketer. His Bungalow in Hauz Khas, New Delhi, is named “Krishna Niwas” after his mother, Krishna Devi. It is a one-acre property worth INR 130 crores and his bungalow showcases a pure blend of modernity and tradition. Sehwag also owns a house in 14/5, Laxmi Garden, Najafgarh, New Delhi but the details of this house are not disclosed.
Scandals
In 2001, Sehwag got involved in a major controversy that led India to some major disappointments. During the second test match against South Africa, Sehwag was given a one-match ban and some penalties to other players by Umpire Mike Denness for maintaining a slow over-rate. This sparked a major controversy between BCCI and ICC as BCCI called this decision biased and unfair and made Sehwag play the third test, which was declared as a friendly match by ICC, and the series was won by South Africa. It was warned by ICC that if Sehwag played any test match without serving his one-match ban, then that match would be declared as an unofficial match.
Fan Following
Virender Sehwag is known for his aggressive batting style on the field in all formats, and the world has witnessed his abilities numerous times, which has convinced them to be his fans. Over 8 million fans on Instagram have followed Sehwag, and he has more than 17 million followers on Facebook and is followed by almost 24 million fans on X.
