“MS Dhoni dropped me from the playing XI…”: Virender Sehwag
Explains Why He Considered Retiring From One-Day Internationals In 2008 And Who Stopped Him
With his free-spirited batting for the Indian cricket team, Virender Sehwag altered the notion of a Test opener. In the three forms, he played 104 Tests, 251 ODIs, and 19 T20Is, scoring 8586, 8273, and 394 runs, respectively. Sehwag also holds the record for being the first Indian cricketer to reach a triple century in a Test match. Even for a great cricketer like him, there was a time when he considered retiring early. The incident occurred during India’s tour to Australia in 2008. When asked how to cope with criticism, Virender Sehwag expounded on the situation in a performance.
What happens between Sehwag and Dhoni in Austalia?
“There are two kinds of players in this game. Accepting challenges is something that some players love. Virat Kohli, for example. He listens to criticism before responding. Then there are those who do not react to criticism since they are confident in their abilities. That was my style of play. It didn’t matter to me who criticized me or who didn’t. This question (of retiring) came to mind in 2008, while we were in Australia. In the Test series, I made a comeback and scored a 150. In ODIs, I couldn’t score much in three or four tries. As a result, MS Dhoni has removed me from the playing XI. Then the idea of retiring from ODI cricket occurred to me. “I assumed I’d stick to Test cricket,” Sehwag stated on Cricbuzz’s ‘Match Party’ show.
“At that point, Sachin Tendulkar intervened. ‘This is a dreadful time in your life,’ he remarked. Simply wait till after this tour, return home, think carefully, and then decide what to do next.’ Fortunately, I had not yet announced my retirement at the time. On the Australia trip, I would have proclaimed my retirement, returned to India, and only played Test cricket. The passage of time has changed. We flew back to India. The chairman was K Srikanth (of selectors). ‘What should I do?’ he inquired. Despite being in fantastic form, I was dropped for three to four games, I said. So, how should I proceed? “If you offer me confidence that you would pick me in all the matches, then you pick me,” I told him. “If you don’t, don’t.”Then, during the 2008 Asia Cup, Srikanth spoke with MS Dhoni. Dhoni then inquired about my favorite batting position and stated that I will be available for all matches. After that, I was able to play some good cricket.”
Sehwag last represented India in an international competition in 2013.
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