Among cricketers, Virender Sehwag is one of the most vocal. He was a devastating batsman and stuck to the same script in interviews and his commentary roles.
And when the former Australian wicketkeeper-batter questioned him if Indian players would ever compete in T20 tournaments in other nations, Sehwag had a shocking response in a recent episode of the Club Prairie Podcast.
Notably, none of the BCCI’s centrally or domestically contracted players are allowed to take part in any of the foreign T20 leagues. For one player to participate in foreign leagues, he has to retire from not only international cricket but also domestic cricket and the IPL to pursue such assignments.
Sehwag made a joking remark that has caused both supporters and critics to respond differently during a conversation with former Australian cricket player Adam Gilchrist.
Sehwag made his comment in response to a query from Gilchrist concerning the involvement of Indian cricket players in international Twenty20 competitions.
As usual, Sehwag responded bluntly, saying that Indian cricket players have enough money and don’t need to play abroad.
“No, Don’t need, we are rich people, we don’t go to poor countries for other leagues,” he said to Gilchrist on Club Prairie Podcast.
Only a handful of players have managed to play in other T20 leagues like Ambati Rayudu, Yuvraj Singh, and Pravin Tambe. But they did so after retiring from Indian cricket and IPL.
I can spend that money on my holidays: Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag, in the same conversation, revealed that he was once approached by the Big Bash League to play in the BBL. Sehwag had been dropped from the Indian team after 2012 and only retired from cricket in 2015.
Sehwag revealed that he was offered USD 100,000 by the BBL to come and play in Australia. But in typical Sehwag way, the cricketer refused the offer saying that he spends that much money on vacations alone.
“I still remember when I was dropped from the Indian team, I was playing IPL, then I got an offer from BBL that I should participate in Big Bash, I said okay how much money, they said $100,000. I said I can spend that money on my holidays, even though last night’s bill was more than $100,000,” he revealed.
Indian players have profited from large contracts and are making significant sums of money even for just one season of play since the IPL started in 2008. The players’ contracts provide them with significant financial rewards and endorsements. Indian players already get a lot of money from the IPL, so they don’t care about money anymore.
