Former Indian opener Virendra Sehwag is renowned not only for his aggressive batting style but also for his witty humor off the field. During a recent chat show with former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist on the Club Prairie Podcast, Sehwag made a hilarious remark that left the Australian legend in stitches. Gilchrist asked Sehwag whether he envisioned a time when Indian cricketers would participate in other international T20 leagues. Sehwag promptly replied, “No, we don’t need to. We are rich people, we don’t go to poor countries for other leagues.”
Apart from this, the former Indian opener shared an anecdote about rejecting an offer from the Big Bash League due to the low financial compensation. “I remember when I was dropped from the Indian team and was playing in the IPL, I received an offer from the BBL to participate in the Big Bash,” Sehwag recounted. “I asked about the money, and they said $100,000. I told them I could spend that amount on a vacation.”
Sehwag’s comments have sparked much discussion within the cricket community. Many agree with his stance that Indian cricketers are financially secure enough not to need to participate in other leagues. However, others believe that such leagues provide valuable experience and exposure for players.
In a separate interview with Cricbuzz, Sehwag expressed his support for former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the ideal wicketkeeper for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Sehwag highlighted Dhoni’s impressive strike rate and his ability to contribute in the latter stages of matches.
“Dhoni has a strike rate of 255 and hasn’t been dismissed yet,” Sehwag said. “He won’t get to bat in the first round, but he’ll only have to keep, which he’s already doing for CSK.”
Sehwag’s endorsement of Dhoni is likely to fuel further debate about the veteran wicketkeeper’s potential inclusion in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup. With the tournament just around the corner, the Indian selectors will need to make a tough decision about Dhoni’s future with the national team.
