Virender Sehwag, on Saturday, ended his five-year association with Kings XI Punjab. After playing for the franchise for two seasons, Sehwag had mentored the side for three years from 2016 to 2018.
Sehwag took to Twitter to make the news public.
“All good things must come to an end and I’ve had a wonderful time at Kings 11 Punjab, for 2 seasons as a player and 3 as a mentor. My association with Kings 11 comes to an end and I am thankful for the time I have had here and wish the team all the very best for the times ahead,” said Sehwag through his tweet.
Sehwag, who began his IPL career for his hometown franchise Delhi Daredevils, moved to Kings XI Punjab in 2014. He stayed for a couple of seasons with the franchise before retiring. He played 25 matches and scored 554 runs, including a ton in the 2014 Qualifier 2 game against Chennai Super Kings. The knock helped KXIP qualify for the IPL final for the first time.
A season after that stunning outing, he retired from the game before becoming the team’s mentor in 2016. In the following year, he took over as director of cricket operations for the franchise. However, his stint as mentor and director of cricket was a forgettable one.
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Kings XI Punjab finished eighth in the 2016 edition of the IPL. In 2017, they nearly made it to the playoff stage but finished fifth after losing their last game. In 2018, the Punjab-based outfit were looking set to make it to the playoffs after winning five of their opening seven games. However, they managed a solitary victory in their next seven games to finish at the seventh spot.
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Interestingly, Virender Sehwag’s resignation comes just a few days after Kings XI Punjab appointed former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson as their coach on a two-year contract. The New Zealander replaced Brad Hodge as the coach of the franchise.
Nava Season ✅
Nava Coach ✅
Ek Navi Umang ✅————————————
New Season ✅
New Coach ✅
Renewed Passion ✅Welcoming @CoachHesson to the @lionsdenkxip#LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi #KXIP pic.twitter.com/57AmpqvRNR
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) October 29, 2018