ICC Includes Virender Sehwag In Hall Of Fame

image-lowj5tukVirender Sehwag in ICC Hall Of Fame (Twitter)

The International Cricket Council (ICC) warmed the hearts of cricket lovers in India on Monday (November 13) by acknowledging the greatness of the swashbuckling former India opener Virender Sehwag and inducting him into their special 'Hall of Fame'.

Apart from Sehwag, the governing body also included former India women's team stalwart Diana Edulji and Sri Lankan legend Aravinda de Silva in the esteemed bracket of former cricketers rewarded for their great service to the game across formats.

Sehwag, who was a pathbreaking aggressor at the top of the order with an unmatched influence and impact on India's all-format fortunes, held a devastating presence for opposition attacks during his 13-year-long career at the international stage.


Making his debut for India in November 2001, the extravagant 'Nazafgarh Ka Nawab' infused a breath of fresh air into Indian batting and completely changed the idea of an opener's role. In an era where Test match batting was about playing out the new ball and easing the task by tiring out the bowlers, Sehwag believed in destroying the opposition's plans and ruffling their feathers early with consistent stroke-making. 

Sehwag Inducted In ICC Hall Of Fame 

"I would like to thank the ICC and the jury for inducting me with this honour," Sehwag told ICC. I feel extremely grateful for having spent a great part of my life doing what I loved most, ‘hitting the cricket ball."

"I would also like to thank my family, friends, people I played with, and countless people who prayed for me selflessly," he added. 

The imposing right-hander with a reasonably solid technique and brilliant range against pacers and spinners, Sehwag blasted 8,586 runs in 104 Tests for India at an average just short of 50 and made 23 centuries, which underlined the effectiveness of his long-sustained ploy. He held a strike rate of 82.23 for his runs and made an amazing impact.

Sehwag made 8,273 runs in 251 ODIs, too, with an astonishing strike rate of 104.33. While never quite revered as much as he was for his Test match feats, Sehwag was an equally critical cog at the top of the order in ODIs as an aggressor and played a handsome role in India winning the 2011 edition of the World Cup.

The right-hander was also instrumental in India's 2007 men's T20 World Cup triumph and carried a T20I strike rate of 145.38 in the format's infant years until playing his last international fixture for India in January 2013.