The Sultan Of Multan! The Nawab of Najafgarh! You don’t just win nicknames like that by being just another cricketer in the Indian team. Viru – as Virender Sehwag is fondly called – has always been a terror as far as opposition bowlers are concerned. His see-ball, hit-ball mantra saw India play at a whole different level as he decimated opposition bowling to pulp, treating T20s, ODIs and Test cricket just the same. He was the perfect batsman as far as limited overs cricket was concerned but two Test triple hundreds suggest there was some method to the madness.
On the occasion of his 37th birthday as rumours of his impending retirement float around, we bring you 10 of his most memorable moments on a cricket field:
1. This delicious upper cut against Pakistan’s Waqar Younis.
2. Chaminda Vaas was also brutally dispatched to the boundary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8g33J235Zg
3. When he hooked Shaun Pollock for a six.
4. When he hit Shahid Afridi for two huge sixes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ifg82zAb9U
5. Poor Tim Southee was hit for a hat-trick of sixes in the very first over of the innings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghXBjZgXXVM
6. The moment when he became the first Indian to score 300 runs in Test cricket. With a six!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2plHdVk1c0
7. When he hit 26 runs in an over against Sri Lanka.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hTHxQoR5Ns
8. And followed it up with 30 runs from an over in the IPL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHF6hCT8kKI
9. At a time when the likes of Sehwag were branded as ‘slow fielders’, he took this amazing catch and had an amazing retort at the post-match conference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFoDWocLeL4
10. And how about an amazing last over Viru bowled against South Africa that won the match for India.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNfrolegeY4
We’ll miss you, Viru. Cricket will never be the same without you!