DESTRUCTION COMPLETE
THE LEGACY OF THE NAWAB
FINAL DAMAGE REPORT
TEST
RUNS
8,586
AVERAGE
49.34
STRIKE RATE
82.23
ODI
RUNS
8,273
AVERAGE
35.05
STRIKE RATE
104.33
FIRST-CLASS
RUNS
11,866
"Numbers don't capture the violence"
THE RECORDS
THE REVOLUTION
Changed How Openers Play Tests
Before Sehwag: Openers defended, survived, built slowly.
After Sehwag: Attack is defense. Destroy from ball one.
Made Bowlers Fear First Session
New ball advantage? Not against Sehwag. He turned it into a disadvantage for bowlers.
Test Cricket Was Never The Same
He proved that aggression works in Tests. Inspired a generation of attacking openers.
AWARDS
2009
Wisden Cricketer of the Year
2010
ICC Test Player of the Year
2010
Padma Shri
2002
Arjuna Award
THE TWITTER SULTAN
Birthday Wish Legend
Retired from cricket, ruled social media. Simple humor, massive following.
Same simplicity. Same directness. Same Sehwag.
WHAT THEY SAID
"Facing Sehwag was a nightmare. You bowl your best ball, he hits it for six."
— Bowler
"He changed how we think about Test cricket. Attack became defense."
— Teammate
"I stopped trying to coach him. He just knew what to do."
— Coach
HE DIDN'T COMPLICATE CRICKET
HE DESTROYED COMPLICATIONS
"People ask my technique. I say: I have bat, ball is there, I hit. Very simple, no?"