Virender Sehwag retires from all forms of international cricket

New Delhi, October 20

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Fiery batsman Virender Sehwag announced retirement from all forms of cricket — both international and Indian Premier League — on Tuesday, bringing an end to a decade-long career in the sport.

Sehwag, considered one of the destructive batsmen to have played the game, had hinted retirement in Dubai on Tuesday. He chose his 37th birthday to make the announcement.

“I hereby retire from all forms of international cricket and from the Indian Premier League,” Sehwag tweeted.

“I have always done what I felt was right and not what conformists thought was right. God has been kind and I have done what I wanted to do — on the field and in my life. And I had decided some time back that I will retire on my 37th birthday. So today, while I spend my day with my family, I hereby announce my retirement from all forms of International Cricket and from the Indian Premier League,” Sehwag said in a statement.

“Cricket has been my life and continues to be so. Playing for India was a memorable journey and I tried to make it more memorable for my teammates and the Indian cricket fans. I believe that I was reasonably successful in doing so.”

“For that, I wish to thank all my team mates over the years — some of the greatest players of the game. I would like to thank all my captains who believed in me and backed me to the hilt. I also thank our greatest partner, the Indian cricket fan, for all the love, support and memories.”

The decision comes after Sehwag signed up to play in the next year’s Masters Champions League 2020, which allows only retired cricketers to play. Sehwag’s participation was announced at the launch ceremony of the veterans 2020 league in Dubai.

The cricketer’s decision comes within a few days after Zaheer Khan, a contemporary, announced it was time for him to retire.

Sehwag last played for the Indian team in 2013 and has not been in the reckoning since.

In a glorious international career spanning over 12 years, Sehwag played 104 Tests scoring 8586 runs at an impressive average of 49.34, hitting 23 centuries and 32 half-centuries. He is the only triple centurion in Tests for India, having scored a career-best knock of 319 against Pakistan at Multan — also is an Indian record. He is also one of the rare batsmen to have scored two triple tons (309) against South Africa.

In 251 ODIs, he accumulated 8,273 runs at an average of 35.05 and scored 15 hundreds apart from hitting 38 fifties.

In 19 Twenty20 Internationals, he managed 394 runs with two half-centuries.

He has been a part of two World Cup winning squads under Mahendra Singh Dhoni — 2007 World T20 in South Africa and the ICC ODI World Cup in India. — PTI