Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag feels no player in the current Indian team bats like him, though Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant have come close to his attacking style of batting. Sehwag was known as the King of batting for his fearless approach and was one of the most successful batsmen during his period.
Virender Sehwag, who attended the News18, India Chaupal on Monday, spoke about his playing days with India, current Indian team players, and the reason for denying India’s coach job in 2017. When asked about which player in the Indian team reminds him of his playing style, Sehwag said.
“I don’t think so there is any player in the Indian team who bats like me. The two players who came to my mind who have come close to it are Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant. I think Rishabh Pant is a little bit close to what I used to bat like in Test cricket he is satisfied with 90-100 but I used to get satisfied with 200, 250, and 300, “Sehwag said.
Virender Sehwag is one of the two batsmen to score a triple century in Tests and a double century in ODI, the other being Chris Gayle.
Rishabh Pant and Prithvi Shaw are known for their fearless approach to batting in all formats of the game. Both players are often compared with legendary Sehwag for their batting Style. Speaking about Rishabh Pant, Sehwag feels the wicket-keeper is satisfied with 90-100 rather than going for big scores.
“If he took his game to that level then I think he can entertain the fans even more,” Sehwag added.
Rishabh Pant was known for his aggressive style of batting and has found success for India, especially in Test Cricket scoring 2271 runs at an average of 43.67 with 5 centuries so far. The 25-year-old was the star of India’s victory in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2021 in Australia.
If You Fail The Yo-Yo Test, You Won’t Get A Chance – Virender Sehwag On Indian Team’s Fitness Issue
Former Indian Cricketer Virender Sehwag feels many legendary Indian players would have failed the Yo-Yo test if it was conducted during their playing days. Sehwag further asserted they should focus more on skills rather than fitness and also added that many players would have failed the yo-yo test if it was conducted during the last three decades.
“There was a trend in the Indian team that if you fail the Yo-Yo test, you won’t get a chance, If this was the case during our time, then a lot of legendary players wouldn’t have been part of the team because they would have failed the Yo-Yo test,” Sehwag said.
India’s team followed fitness criteria very strictly since MS Dhoni took over the captaincy in 2007, and then Virat Kohli made the yo-yo test mandatory to play for India. In the last three years, the likes of Prithvi Shaw, Rahul Tewatia, and Varun Chakravarthy had failed to pass the yo-yo test which kept them out of the Indian team.