Indian cricketer Sehwag announces international retirement
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag yesterday announced his retirement from international cricket matches and the next Indian Premier League season. Opener Sehwag played his last test match in March 2013 against Australia. He scored 8,586 runs, including 23 centuries, in 104 test matches, with a batting average of 49.34.
Sehwag, who turned 37 yesterday, said on Twitter "I hereby retire from all forms of international cricket and from the Indian Premier League. A statement will follow." He stated he has not retired from first-class cricket matches, and he is also scheduled to appear in the Masters Champions League in February 2016.
Also known as the Nawab of Najafgarh, Sehwag is the only Indian cricketer to score a triple century in test matches, making 309 runs against Pakistan in 2004 and 319 against South Africa in 2008.
Sehwag stated, "I have always done what I felt was right and not what conformists thought to be 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."
Fellow Indian cricketers praised Sehwag when news of his retirement broke. Sachin Tendulkar referred to Sehwag's "tremendous achievements" and "superlative performances", V. V. S. Laxman called him "a pure entertainer", and Ajinkya Rahane described him as "an inspiration to billions of cricket fans across the world."
Sources
- Tariq Engineer. "For Sehwag, the only ball that mattered was the one he was about to face" — Firstpost, October 21, 2015
- Virender Sehwag. "Virender Sehwag on Twitter" — Twitter, October 20, 2015
- "India legend Virender Sehwag retires from international cricket" — Sky Sports, October 20, 2015
- "Cricketing fraternity congratulates Sehwag on his career" — Bangalore Mirror, October 20, 2015
- "Virender Sehwag: India opener retires from international cricket" — BBC Sport, October 20, 2015