5 life lessons we can learn from Virender Sehwag

For the vast majority of their cricket history, India were used to the presence of obdurate openers who blunted the new ball with great tenacity. However, in terms of taking the attack to the opposition, there were few and far in between. It all changed when Virender Sehwag was vaulted to the top of the order. With his devil-may-care attitude and buccaneering approach to batting, he triggered a massive revolution in the purest format of the game.

Often shaping the direction of Test matches within a matter of sessions, Sehwag enthralled spectators with his enviable quiver of shots and enabled India to enforce results on the flattest of pitches. In the 50-over format, his blistering starts became an integral part of a formidable Indian lineup which surged to World Cup glory in 2011. Despite being retired from the game, the 'Nawab of Najafgarh' continues to entertain the audience with his hilarious posts on Twitter.

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Gleaning inputs from the different stages of his playing career and beyond, here are five fascinating life lessons we can all learn from Sehwag's evolution as an entertainer par excellence.

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#5 Adapt quickly to changing roles

Sehwag made his debut as an off-spinning all-rounder before gaining promotion as opener

At the first instance of Sehwag, the cricket world remembers his spell-bounding stint as an opener. However, he began his career as an off-spin all-rounder who was entrusted with swelling totals from lower down the order. His inaugural moment of reckoning came during the 2001 Bangalore ODI against the intimidating Australian outfit. A rapid half-century as well as a three-wicket haul enabled him to gain his maiden 'Man of the Match' award.

With the experienced Sachin Tendulkar ruled out due to a foot injury, skipper Sourav Ganguly instructed Sehwag to open the innings alongside him during the ninth match of the 2001 Coco Cola Cup in Sri Lanka. Seizing the opportunity, the right-hander hammered a 70-ball century against New Zealand to set up a facile victory for India. Although he was moved back to the middle-order, the team management took note of his skills as an opener. During the 2002 tour of England, Sehwag was promoted as a makeshift opener. He responded by scoring a stellar century at Trent Bridge and went on to make the position his own across both formats.

The manner in which Sehwag immediately availed the opportunities to open the innings in both Tests and ODIs offers a case-study in grasping chances. One can never surmise when a life-changing opportunity comes his way. However, as the Delhi dasher showed, it is imperative to keep an eye out for such a pivotal moment. When the window of opening comes, seizing the situation can alter the course of a journey.

#4 Form your own identity

Sehwag tried to emulate Tendulkar before realising the importance of finding his own path

After calling time on his fabled career, Sehwag went on to admit that he had 'wanted to bat like Sachin Tendulkar' when he first joined the Indian team. The inimitable opener candidly affirmed, "I realised there could be only one Tendulkar and I changed my stance and back-lift. I realised I should change my game and I did it. After that, I was playing with my own technique."

When he burst on to the scene, the similarities with Tendulkar were strikingly evident. Right from his demeanour at the crease to his delectable timing, Sehwag looked to emulate the legendary batsman. However, as lofty comparisons began to flow, he acknowledged the need to forge his own identity and gradually started to carve his own legacy.

As is often said, every individual possesses unique strengths as well as weaknesses. Naturally, the human mind begins to search for role-models and goes on to record their imprints on our subconscious personalities. Instead of trying to imitate the perfect prototypes, allowing the inner-self to form its own identity helps in character development.

#3 Break stereotypes by mixing innovation with tradition

For all his trail-blazing pyrotechnics, Sehwag adhered to the philosophy of going big once set

At a time when most other Test openers were quite content in seeing off the first spells of the new-ball bowlers, Sehwag changed the dynamics of the game by going after world-class pacers right from the outset. His method of taking the attack to the opposition early in the innings came as a shock to numerous long-time connoisseurs who were yet to embrace the idea of disturbing the rhythm of fast bowlers.

The late Bob Woolmer, who was one of the sharpest cricketing minds of his time, labelled Sehwag as a 'sophisticated slogger'. However, he did not care about the opinions of traditionalists and went about destroying bowling attacks by taking risks aplenty. But once he got his eye in, the opener followed the old school philosophy of scoring 'daddy hundreds'. While he was synonymous with his captivating stroke-play, the right-hander's unflappable temperament as well as extensive reservoirs of concentration were instrumental in his propensity to go big. Apart from going past the 200-run mark in the 50-over format, he also scored two triple tons and six double centuries in Tests.

Sehwag's insatiable appetite for monstrous scores is a lesson in combining innovation with tradition. While it is necessary to break stereotypes and establish new trends, change cannot come at the expense of convention. Juxtaposing ingenious ideas with the essence of well-etched norms can go a long way in elevating the stature of any individual. After all, the art of blazing new trails is in itself a by-product of devising different directions to existing paths.

#2 Nurture the sportsperson in every child

MS Dhoni visited the campus of Sehwag International School earlier this year

During his childhood years, Sehwag used to travel close to five hours per day to hone his cricket skills. Eager to ensure that the current as well as future generations of students are able to balance education with sports, the iconic cricketer opened a school in his name. Aptly christened as Sehwag International School, the educational institution based in Haryana inculcates the importance of both academics as well as sports.

Even though the infrastructure at grass-roots level is growing stronger with every year, India cannot aspire to become a powerhouse in sports until the people of the country realise the significance of establishing a sporting culture among children. The consistent success of nations like Australia across a wide variety of international competitions stems from their intrinsic culture of embracing sport right from childhood.

In this regard, Sehwag's initiative to open such an educational institution not only honours his father's dream but also encourages modern-day students to grow into complete individuals by participating in various sports. It is extremely vital for the present generation of parents to persuade their children to put away their video games and take part in real sporting activities.

#1 A dose of humour can keep your spirits up

Sehwag's positive outlook towards life can be discerned from his humour-tinged tweets

With over 13 million followers, Sehwag is one of the most popular ex-cricketers on Twitter. The major reason behind his soaring popularity is the hilarious nature of his tweets. Akin to his swashbuckling style of batsmanship during his heydays, he does not encircle himself within conventional norms and regularly entertains the gallery by embedding a dose of humour into his posts.

Be it issuing a birthday wish to an erstwhile contemporary or celebrating a splendid performance from an active cricketer, his quick-wit as well as capacity to play with words have the power to transform seemingly mundane topics into interesting events.

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In the stressful environment of today's world, we often forget to cherish the presence of levity in our day to day lives. With Sehwag showing the way through his Twitter page, frivolity can be the answer to negate the toughest of situations. Adopting a light-hearted approach to life and seeing the funny side of things may eventually help in reducing the effects of anxiety as well as pressure to a substantial extent.