Virender Sehwag has done it again. The former Indian cricketer, who earned a special place in the hearts of Indian cricket fans with his swashbuckling style of cricket during his playing days and someone who continues to remain so thanks to his hilarious posts on social media, paid tribute to Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar, who is celebrating his 66th birthday today, by comparing his legacy to that of Bollywood blockbuster Sholay, arguably the most famous Indian movie ever made.
Only days earlier, Sehwag had sent social microblogging site Twitter into a frenzy with his post wishing India’s skipper in the shorter formats of the game, MS Dhoni. on the eve of his 35th birthday, in which he proclaimed that the day should be proclaimed as ‘National Helicopter Day’ as a tribute to the wicketkeeper batsman's iconic Helicopter shot.
With his latest Twitter post, however, it’s safe to say that Sehwag has outdone himself. Gavaskar is arguably India’s most famous batsman, having held the record for most runs as well as most centuries in Test cricket for a long time before the records were broken by India’s very own Sachin Tendulkar. Gavaskar, who played 125 Tests and 108 ODIs, was the first man to score 10,000 Test runs and finished with 10,122 runs in the longer version of the game at an average of 51.12 with 34 centuries.
Sehwag and Gavaskar, both legendary Indian openers, but at the opposite ends of the spectrum with regard to the way they approached the game as the latter adopted a cautious nature while the Delhi cricketer was known for his fearless approach. Sehwag though believes it is Gavaskar who should be applauded for the manner he withstood the great West Indian bowlers of the times at a time when helmets were not part of a batsman’s cricket gear.
Comparisons with Sholay, which once held the record for the Indian movie with the longest theatrical run before being broken by yet another blockbuster Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge in 2001, is apt considering how Gavaskar has remained an ever-present in Indian cricket circles even after his retirement with his columns in various leading newspapers as well as being one of the most recognisable voices in the commentary box.
Sehwag also posted another Tweet featuring a picture of himself with the legend wishing the latter a healthy life.
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