Former India opener Virender Sehwag has opened up on the moment when he considered retiring early from one-day internationals (ODIs). The fearless opener of his time revealed that he was dropped from the team under MS Dhoni‘s captaincy in 2007-08 ODI tri-series between India, Australia and Sri Lanka and this is when he contemplated calling time on his career in the format. Sehwag added that Sachin Tendulkar‘s advice helped him reinstate the belief and later shine for India again.
“In 2007-08 series when we were in Australia, I played the first three matches of the Commonwealth Bank Series and then MS Dhoni dropped me from the side. I wasn’t picked for a while after that. Then I felt that if I can’t be a part of the playing XI, then there was no point in my playing ODI cricket,” said Sehwag on Padamjeet Sehrawat‘s YouTube channel.
“Then I went to Tendulkar and said, ‘I am thinking of retiring from ODIs’. He said, ‘No, I went through a similar phase in 1999-2000, where I felt I should leave cricket. But that phase came and went. So, you are going through a trough, but it will pass. Don’t make any decision when you are emotional. Give yourself some time and 1-2 series, and then take a call.’ When that series ended, I played in the next series and made a lot of runs. I played the 2011 World Cup and we won the World Cup as well”.
Sehwag made his ODI debut against arch-rivals Pakistan in 1999 and played his first Test against South Africa in 2001. He is the only Indian batter to have scored two triple centuries in Test cricket.
The right-handed batter also has a double century to his name in the ODI format. He scored 219 runs against the West Indies in 2011.
Sehwag represented the country in 104 Tests, scoring 8586 runs at an average of 49.34. He hit 23 centuries and 32 half-centuries in the longest format of the game.
Sehwag was also adjudged ICC Test player of the year in 2010 as he scored 1282 runs in 10 Test matches, including six centuries.
In 251 ODIs, Sehwag scored 8273 runs at a strike-rate of over 104. The former opener smashed 15 hundreds and 38 half-centuries.
Sehwag was also part of 2007 World T20 and 2011 World Cup winning teams.