World T20: Pakistan is Like Old Wine, You Drink it and Hangover Remains for Two Days, Says Virender Sehwag

 

He batted with impetuosity, collared the world's best bowlers with fierce square cuts and today, he is bringing that charm into his cricket commentary and talk shows. Meet, Virender Sehwag, Version 2. (World T20 Tied Match my Favourite Indo-Pak Moment, Says Virender Sehwag)

Sehwag displayed his array of strokes (read witty comments) in an exclusive chat with NDTV on Monday. He is still not a Navjot Singh Sidhu, but Sehwag, known for his blazing starts, has made a colourful start as a TV commentator and analyst on radio. (Virender Sehwag Picks India As One of The Four Semi-Finalists for World Twenty20)

"Pakistan is like old wine, you drink it and hangover remains for two days," Sehwag said, reacting to India's World T20 victory against Pakistan in Kolkata on Saturday. Sehwag's tongue-in-cheek comment at Pakistan's failure to match India in World Cups was clear. And there were more.

Sehwag's ability to link political scenarios with cricket is indeed laudable. "(Virat) Kohli and goli (bullet) go down well during an India-Pakistan match," Sehwag said, hinting at terrorist attacks in border areas and India's fragile political relationship with its neighbours. Sehwag said India were "99 per cent favourites" to win the World T20.

His no-holds-barred approach in the studios is typical of his playing days - he barely listened to coaches and captains on how to play the game. Sehwag had his own rules and was successful.

The 37-year-old from Delhi, fondly called the Nawab of Najafgarh for his boisterous batting style, scored 8273 runs in 251 ODIs. The fact that he scored 8586 runs in 104 Test matches only highlights the fact that he never differentiated between the shorter and longer formats of the game. His see-ball-hit-ball approach was unique.

There is a cocky side of Sehwag, whose highest Test score of 319 versus Pakistan earned him the 'Sultan of Multan' nickname. When asked who is the Virender Sehwag of Indian team now?

"There is no Virender Sehwag now in the team... may be in future, there may emerge one," Sehwag snapped back.

Kishore Kumar songs, Sehwag said, set his mood up on pressure days. But when asked to sing a line of his favourite number, Sehwag slapped that request over mid-wicket, saying: "I have been paid to talk about cricket, not sing on your show."

That's Sehwag for you - straight from the heart, crisp and clear. See ball-hit ball. Now it's hear-question-give-answer. Sehwag sets his own rules on and off-the-pitch.