17 of the most remarkable quotes by Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag

Here is a look at some of the best quotes by former Indian opening batsman Virender Sehwag.

1. On Geoff Boycott, who had referred to him as 'talented but brainless': "Boycott can say what he wants. He once batted the whole day and hit just one four.”

2. On learning that Rahul Dravid and he missed a golden chance of breaking the 50-year world record of 414 runs (held by Vinoo Mankad and Pankaj Roy) for the opening wicket partnership by four runs. “Who is Vinoo Mankad? I don’t know anything about them. I haven’t even heard about them.”

3. When asked for the millionth time what was the difference between him and Sachin Tendulkar: “Our bank balance.”

4. On his 284 not out in less than a day: “In the dressing room they told me I was hitting the good balls too, but if you look at it my way, I hit only the bad ones.”

5. To security people in Durban who insisted he and Gautam Gambhir not walk out on their own late in the evening: “No, there is no danger. We are the most dangerous batsmen in the world.”

6. On life: “It doesn’t matter if you have one billion rupees in your bank account or one rupee. This is one life you get, and you’d rather spend it enjoying whatever you have, rather than thinking, 'Oh, I should have scored seven more runs, or I should get more money.'"

7. To Paddy Upton and Eric Simons on what advice he gave VVS Laxman when he was on 94 (Sehwag was running for the injured Laxman): “Obviously when you are on 94, you can get there with just a six.”

8. When asked about ‘the zone’: “I have asked Tendulkar many times what the zone is. He tells me that’s when ‘I see nothing except the ball’. I have asked Rahul Dravid the same thing. He says sometimes when he is in really good form, he sees the ball and not even the sightscreen, the non-striker, the umpire or who is bowling. I ask how that is possible. I have never entered that zone.”

9. On the nightwatchman ploy being employed by Team India: “What is the difference between batting at the end of the day or at the start? If you make a mistake you’ll get out. Whenever a captain or coach asked me for a nightwatchman I would say, ‘No, why? If I can’t survive 10 or 20 balls now, then I don’t think I’ll survive tomorrow morning.’ I believe that’s the best time when you have the opportunity to score runs, when everybody on the field is tired and you can score 20 runs off those 20 balls.”

Virender Sehwag in his Delhi Daredevils days

10. On how he approaches a Test innings: “I have made it very simple for myself. There are 90 overs to be played in a day. If I am able to hit a boundary in 80 of these I can get to a triple hundred by the end of the day’s play and set a match up for my team.”

11. On hitting sixes while approaching landmarks: “Sachin Tendulkar always likes to chat and can get serious and caution you not to hit unnecessary shots. During that (Multan) innings he told me, ‘If you try to hit a six I will hit you on the bum.’ He gave me a simple example – about my Melbourne innings in 2003, when I tried to hit a six on 195 and got out. Till then India were in a good position, but after that we couldn’t make a big score and we lost the Test. So he made me realise my mistake. That is why I didn’t hit sixes in Multan, but when I was near 300 I told him that I was going to hit Saqlain (Mushtaq) and he could hit me on my bum!”

12. On what bowlers needed to do to try and escape his wrath: “I don’t want to sound pompous. But I can surely tell you that once I get to 60 or 70 there’s no bowler in the world who can get Virender Sehwag out. Only Virender Sehwag can get Sehwag out at moments when I am batting the way I am currently. My philosophy has always been to make the most of the situation when you are in form. So when I go out there, I identify a bowler and get after him. If he is the best bowler in the opposition, your job becomes much easier.”

13. On his love of playing spin: “Once Gary Kirsten asked me, ‘What would you do if there is a long-off, long-on and deep midwicket?’ I asked, ‘Gary sir, do fielders matter to me?’ He burst out laughing… Let me give an example: I was batting on 291 at Chepauk, against South Africa. I told Paul Harris, ‘Come round the wicket and first ball I’ll hit you for a six.’ He accepted my challenge and the very first ball I hit him for a straight six, and there was a long-off, long-on, deep midwicket and a deep point. I was so tired and he was bowling on the pads and I was getting bored. So rather than spending 10-15 minutes to get to the triple-century I gave him good advice.”

14. On Sachin's 200 in ODIs: “I will pay anything, even go to the theatre, to watch the innings 100 times. I have already reserved a CD to watch it any time I want.”

15. After getting out for 293: “Not many people have got two triple centuries and followed that with 293. So there is nothing to be disappointed about.”

16. “Beta beta hota hai, aur baap baap hota hai!” – Sehwag sledging Shoaib Akhtar, after the latter was hooked for a six by Sachin Tendulkar.

17. To Pakistan close-in fielders after Shoaib Akhtar continuously asked Sehwag to hook, bowling bouncers at him from around the wicket: “Yeh bowling kar raha hai ya bheekh maang raha hai? [Is he bowling or begging?]”