Virender Sehwag continues to remain one of the most volatile Indian openers to date. He has turned 43 years old, as we look at his five facts that might be unknown to some of his fans.
Legendary former Indian opener Virender Sehwag was one of the deadliest batters in the world across formats. Bowlers had a hard time stopping him, owing to his fatal tendency to attack them right from the first ball. Despite having retired for a long time, he remains India's most volatile opener to date and is a fan-favourite. As he celebrates his 43rd birthday on Wednesday, we present his five facts that some fans might be unaware of.
ALSO READ: ICC World T20 2021: What does having MS Dhoni means for Team India? KL Rahul reckons
Developed love for cricket at seven months
Now, many would find this hard to believe that how can one understand cricket at the age of just seven months. Well, Sehwag did, and it all happened after he was gifted a toy bat. Since then, he developed a fond interest in the sport, which was spotted by his parents, while later, he preferred to play the sport rather than focusing on his studies.
ALSO WATCH: Most wickets in an ICC World T20 edition
Childhood cricket ban
As he was allowed to pursue the sport during his childhood, he broke his tooth in the process. Consequently, his father banned him from playing the sport at the age of 12. However, his mother helped his father change his mind, while Sehwag kept evolving ever since.
ALSO WATCH: Most runs conceded in an ICC World T20 innings
An assassin who sings
In case you did not know or forgot, Sehwag was a good singer. No, not professionally, but on the cricket field. Be it any situation; he kept singing songs while batting, as it helped him concentrate better. During one of the matches, he also moved away from his batting stance, halting the bowler, as he could not recall the name and lyrics of a song. He continued only after remembering it shorty after.
ALSO SEE: ICC World T20 2021- MS Dhoni meets Chris Gayle, Ravi Shastri faces Matthew Hayden, Phil Simmons
Teaching Shoaib Akhtar a lesson
During a Test match against Pakistan, Sehwag was nearing 200. At this time, pacer Shoaib Akhtar decided to bowl bouncers at him, besides telling him to hit them for a six. Sehwag asked him to do the same to Sachin Tendulkar, who was batting at the other end. When Akhtar did the same to Tendulkar, he was smacked for a six. Eventually, Sehwag told Akhtar that a father is always a father, while a son is always a son.
ALSO READ: Is MS Dhoni the heart of Chennai Super Kings? Here's what the owner feels
His wife belonged from his family
In an exciting tale of his personal life, Sehwag married his longtime girlfriend, Aarti Ahlawat. The two have known each other since childhood and grew up together playing, eventually falling in love. However, their parents were reluctant to get them married since Aarti belonged to Sehwag's distant relative, as the latter's cousin was married to the former's aunt. Nonetheless, after considering their genuine love for each other, their parents gave in.