Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag was born on October 20, 1978, in Najafgarh, Delhi, India, into a Jat family. His early life involved a large joint family and a strong interest in cricket from a young age, starting with a toy bat at seven months old. Despite an incident in 1990 where he broke a tooth, almost ending his budding career, his mother’s support ensured he continued playing. Sehwag attended Arora Vidya School in Delhi and later Jamia Milia Islamia for his graduation, focusing on cricket over academics. His attacking batting style was evident from his early coaching days with Amar Nath Sharma.

Sehwag debuted for the Delhi cricket team in the 1997–98 season and quickly made his mark, leading to his selection for the North Zone team. A standout performance included scoring 274 runs in the Duleep Trophy against South Zone in 1998–99, followed by an impressive 187 in a Ranji Trophy match. These performances led to his selection for the U-19 team touring South Africa and eventually a regular spot in the national team by mid-2001. His international career began with an ODI debut against Pakistan in April 1999, and his Test debut followed in November 2001 against South Africa. He quickly established himself as a prominent international cricketer, earning significant accolades and setting numerous records.

Throughout his career, Sehwag was known for his aggressive and unorthodox batting, earning the title of “most exciting opener in the world” by Wisden in 2005. He achieved remarkable milestones such as scoring two triple centuries in Test cricket (309 against Pakistan in 2004 and 319 against South Africa in 2008), becoming only the third batsman globally to do so. He also recorded the highest individual score in ODI cricket at the time with 219 runs against West Indies in 2011. Beyond playing, Sehwag captained the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League for its first two editions and later launched his own sportswear brand, ‘VS’. He retired from all forms of international cricket on October 20, 2015, and has since been involved in various roles, including serving on the Anti Doping Appeal Panel of the National Anti Doping Agency and establishing the Sehwag International School.