One of the most destructing and aggressive batsman of the 21st century – Virender Sehwag – has finally called curtains on his international as well as Indian Premier League (IPL) career. The ‘final’ announcement came on his 37th birthday which was on October 20, 2015.
One day before the official announcement, news started doing the rounds that Sehwag had announced his retirement from international cricket. Almost immediately, fans and experts all over the world started showing their emotions on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. But in the next 20-30 minutes the bigger news came that Sehwag had denied his retirement announcement.
Everyone got a hint that he would announce his retirement soon. But unexpectedly, the final decision came just the next morning when everyone was talking about Sehwag’s 37th birthday. Just the way Sehwag is unpredictable when batting, he did the same when announcing retirement as well.
Now it is confirmed that Sehwag will not be seen playing for India at international level and also not in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
On this occasion, let’s list some of his incredible records and trivia that made Sehwag distinct from everyone else in the history of cricket.
1. Century in maiden first-class innings and also in maiden Test innings
Sehwag scored 118 runs in the first innings of his first-class career while batting at No. 7 for Delhi against Haryana on October 23, 1998 in the Ranji Trophy season of 1998/99. It was actually his second first-class match as he did not get to bat on his first-class debut.
He did the same when he batted for the first time in his Test career. He scored 105 on his Test debut against South Africa at Bloemfontein on the opening day of the Test which was November 3, 2001. He batted at No. 6 then. When he opened for the first time in his Test career, he scored 84.
Only two other players did this in the cricket history – Gundappa Viswanath (230 on first-class debut and 137 on Test debut) and Dirk Wellham (100 on first-class debut and 103 on Test debut).
2. Only Indian to score a triple century in Test matches
This is a record familiar to almost everyone. Sehwag became the first Indian to score a triple century in Test matches; he beat VVS Laxman’s record of 281 which was the highest individual score until the Nawab of Najafgarh made 309 against Pakistan at Multan in 2004.
3. First player to reach 300 with a six in Tests
Sehwag decided to complete India’s first triple century in a manner which no one else had done in the past 127 years of Test cricket history. He was batting on 295 and smashed a six off Saqlain Mushtaq to complete the 300. He was the first batsman to reach a 300 with a six.
However, surprisingly, he was emulated by Kumar Sangakkara in 2014. These are the only two batsmen to have done this so far in Tests.
It is to be noted that Sehwag had got out on 195 when he tried completing his maiden double century with a six which was against Australia at MCG just four innings before his 309. At that point of time, only six batsmen had reached a double century with a six.
When Sehwag failed to do the same, he went one step ahead and reached 300 with a six. Yes, he was incredible.
4. One of only four batsmen to score two triple centuries in Tests
In more than 70 years of Indian cricket history, no batsman had scored a triple century. But within four years Sehwag smashed two triple hundreds. After scoring his maiden 300 on March 29, 2004, against Pakistan, Sehwag scored another triple century on March 28, 2008, against South Africa at MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai.
Before him, only two batsmen had scored multiple 300s – Donald Bradman (334 and 304) and Brian Lara (375 and 400*). Later Chris Gayle also scored his second triple century.
Wait, Sehwag also narrowly missed out on becoming the first batsman to score three triple centuries in Test matches. He was out on 293 against Sri Lanka at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on December 4, 2009. Also, Don Bradman was once not out on 299, missing his third 300.
5. Converting 11 consecutive Test 100s into scores of 150+
Sehwag had a unique sequence between December 26, 2003, and July 31, 2008. He made 11 Test centuries in that period and interestingly he converted all those into scores of 150 and above.
He began with a 195 against Australia at MCG in the Boxing Day Test of 2003. His 11 centuries were – 195, 309, 155, 164, 173, 201, 254, 180, 151, 319 and 201*. His streak ended when he was out for 131 against Sri Lanka at Kanpur in November 2009.
Sehwag, in fact, converted 15 consecutive centuries into scores of 125-plus. Before that 195 his two centuries were 147 and 130, and after his 201* the next two centuries were 131 and 293. Apart from his first two Test centuries, the next 15 were all of 125-plus runs.
The next highest streak of converting centuries into 150-plus scores is seven by Gary Kirsten. He scored 275, 180, 150, 220, 153, 150 and 160 between December 1999 and October 2002.
6. First player to be dismissed at least once in the 90s, 190s and 290s in Test cricket
When Sehwag got out for 293 runs in December 2009, he completed the set of having got out in the nervous 90s, 190s and 290s. He already had three scores in the 90s (90, 90 & 92) and one in the 190s (195) by then. Later he got two more scores in the 90s (99 and 96).
After him, only one batsman did the same. It was Alastair Cook to complete this set after getting out for 190 against India at Eden Gardens in December 2012. He already had four scores in the 90s and a 294 (also against India).
One more batsman came close to this feat – Viv Richards. He had three 90s, a 291 and was not out on 192.
7. One of only three players to be stumped out on 99 in Test cricket
Sehwag never liked being patient when approaching centuries. In 2010, he became only the third batsman to be stumped out on 99 in Test cricket history. He was stumped by Suraj Randiv of Sri Lanka at Colombo (SSC).
Before him, Maqsood Ahmed (Pakistan vs India, Lahore) in January 1955 and John Wright (New Zealand vs England, Christchurch) in January 1992 were the two to do this. Since Sehwag, no batsman has got stumped out on 99, not even on any score between 95 and 99.
8. Completing most number of Test centuries within 100 balls and double centuries within 200 balls
Sehwag scored 23 centuries in his Test career out of which he completed seven of those in less than 100 balls. He holds the record of completing most number of Test centuries in less than 100 balls.
The next highest is Adam Gilchrist with six such centuries followed by Chris Gayle with four. Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Brian Lara, Shahid Afridi and Brendon McCullum reached three centuries in less than 100 balls in their Test career.
There are only five double centuries completed within 200 balls in Test cricket history. Interestingly, three of those are by Virender Sehwag (in 168, 182 and 194 balls). The other two are by Nathan Astle (153 balls) and Brendon McCullum (186 balls).
Sehwag has scored six 200s in Tests and five of those were completed within 230 balls. No other batsman has even completed two Test 200s within 250 balls!
9. At least one 50+ score in 11 consecutive Test matches
Between November 2009 and October 2010, Virender Sehwag made at least one 50 plus score in 11 consecutive Test matches. It was then the joint highest number of consecutive Test matches with 50 plus scores, alongside Viv Richards and Gautam Gambhir.
After him, AB de Villiers bettered this record by doing it in 12 consecutive Tests. Mominul Haque also achieved this feat in 11 consecutive matches.
10. Most Test runs in a calendar year without being the highest run-getter in that year
Sehwag scored 1,462 Test runs in 2008 and 1,422 Test runs in 2010 but wasn’t the highest run-getter in those calendar years. He was bettered by Graeme Smith in 2008 with 1,656 runs and by Sachin Tendulkar in 2010 with 1,562 runs.
His aggregates are the highest by any batsman in a year without being the highest run-getter. Interestingly, he holds the top two spots there. Next highest is Sachin Tendulkar with 1,392 runs in 2002 when the highest run-getter that year was Michael Vaughan with 1481 runs.
11. Six on the first ball of a team’s innings in ODIs
Virender Sehwag hit a six off the very first ball of India’s innings against Australia at SCG in the second final of VB series on February 8, 2004. India were chasing 360 to win and Sehwag showed his intentions straight from the first ball but hitting a six to Jason Gillespie.
Before Sehwag, as far as details known from match reports and archives, only two players hit a six on the first ball of a team’s innings in ODIs. They are Mark Greatbatch for New Zealand to Wasim Akram of Pakistan at Auckland on December 30, 1992, and Philo Wallace for West Indies to Javagal Srinath of India at Bangabandhu National Stadium on October 31, 1998.
12. Highest individual score by a captain in ODIs
Virender Sehwag was, in fact, the captain of his team when he made 219 in the ODI against West Indies at Indore on December 8, 2011. He is the only player to score a double century as captain in ODIs. In the process he broke the 11-year-old record of Sanath Jayasuriya’s 189 as captain against India at Sharjah on October 29, 2000.
Sehwag has captained in 12 ODI matches and in those matches he scored 417 runs. 219 runs came in just one innings and just 198 runs in the other 11 innings, with not even a single 50-plus score.
13. Fastest ODI century for India
Virender Sehwag broke Mohammad Azharuddin’s record of the fastest ODI century for India. Azharuddin scored a century in 62 balls against New Zealand at Vadodara on December 17, 1988.
It was then the fastest ODI century and remained the fastest by an Indian in ODIs for more than 20 years until Sehwag smashed a hundred in 60 balls against New Zealand at Hamilton on March 11, 2009.
The record is now with Virat Kohli after he blasted 100 in 52 balls against Australia at Jaipur on October 16, 2013. The four fastest ODI 100s by Indians all came while chasing and India won all those matches.
14. Most consecutive 50+ scores in T20 cricket
Virender Sehwag holds the joint record of most consecutive 50+ scores in T20 cricket. He scored five consecutive half-centuries in IPL 2012 for Delhi Daredevils – 57, 87*, 73, 63 and 73. He and Hamilton Masakadza are the only batsmen to score five consecutive 50-plus scores in the history of T20 cricket so far.
15. Least number of balls taken to score 1,000 and 2,000 runs in IPL
Sehwag completed his 1,000th IPL run in just 604 balls and scored his 2,000th IPL run in 1,211 balls. Both these are respective records for least number of balls played to score 1,000 and 2,000 runs in IPL.
Not even Chris Gayle got to those milestones in those many balls. Gayle scored his 1,000th run in 615 balls his 2,000th run in 1251 balls.
These were some of the major records and achievements by Virender Sehwag in his International career.
Bonus Trivia
Sehwag was the highest scorer in India’s highest total in each of the three formats.
The highest total for India in Tests is 726/9 against Sri Lanka at Brabourne Stadium in 2009 and the highest scorer in that inning was Sehwag with 293 runs.
The highest total for India in ODIs is 418/5 against West Indies at Indore in 2011 and the highest scorer in that inning was Sehwag with 219 runs.
The highest total for India in T20Is is 218/4 against England at Durban in WT20 2007 and the highest scorer in that inning was Sehwag with 68 runs.
Also, Sanath Jayasuriya has the same record for Sri Lanka. But Sri Lanka’s highest totals in each format are in fact the highest total among all teams in that format.
There was never a player like Sehwag before and there will never be in the future! Good Bye Viru.
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