An insider take on Sehwag: a hero untouched by celebrity

QUICK PILL

The hero

• Virender Sehwag has announced his retirement from international cricket and the IPL

• He scored over 8,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs

The simpleton

• Sehwag didn\'t follow instructions. If the ball was there to be hit, he would hit it

• If he wasn\'t in good form, he had no qualms in admitting as much

More in the story

• A former Delhi Daredevils media manager recounts the company of Sehwag

• How Sehwag made a fan\'s day in Chennai

• The song Sehwag used to sing in the dressing room

It is hard to stop the eyes from getting moist when the reality of Virender Sehwag's retirement from

international cricket sinks in. It takes effort to stop the tears from flowing when reading the outpouring of emotion from his teammates and rivals.

Also read - #ThankYouSehwag: they don't make cricketers like Viru anymore

Only a magician like Sehwag could conjure up such a simple way of executing the complex tasks of entertaining and match-winning.

He let fame sit quite lightly on his shoulders. He was a simple hero at heart, untouched by the complications that usually accompany celebrity status.

He did not mind squatting on the floor to be able to speak with his interviewer, so that someone else could answer his phone. It is in retaining this simplicity that he marked himself out as very special.

Ball was there to be hit

Photo: Getty Images

Former Test cricketer Rakesh Shukla recalls an instance when he was travelling with the Delhi team as selector and Sehwag was captain. The opener had showcased his characteristic brilliance by lunch and everyone advised him to keep his wicket intact, since he had already inflicted considerable damage on the opposition.

When the game resumed, Sewhag danced down the track and holed out to the man at deep mid-wicket. He walked back, grinned at Shukla and the others in the dressing room and said, "Sorry sir! The ball was there to be hit and I had to play that shot."

Stated simply, that is Sehwag for you.

What's more, he had that rare ability to actually forget his innings within minutes. So, if you expected him to feel remorse after a bad shot, you could have another thought coming. He fell attempting to send a full toss beyond the boundary with his own score at 195 in Melbourne in December 2003. A few months later, he reached the landmark triple century in Multan with a six off Saqlain Mushtaq.

Never shying away

Photo: Getty Images

I was around as a writer in Multan when he became the first Indian to make a Test triple-century in 2004, and when he shared a 410-run opening stand with Rahul Dravid in Lahore two years later.

I was at hand to witness him make remarkable Test centuries against Australia in Chennai in 2004 and in Adelaide nearly four years later. Of course, there are many magical memories.

There was great fun in watching him redefine the grammar of opening the innings and often provide the Big Four - Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly - with a cushioned platform on which to parade their skills.

Off the pitch, there are a couple of standout memories of his simplicity and honesty. In 2007, Sehwag had staged a comeback to the ODI team in place of erstwhile captain Rahul Dravid, and did not hesitate in speaking his mind. "I know selection matters are dealt with by selectors, but I feel bad that a great player with 10,000 and more runs is not the side," Sehwag said.

In 2008, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had just told the media that Sehwag would be benched in a tri-series game in Adelaide because he had a niggling injury. But at the practice net, beside the ground, Sehwag was candid in admitting that his form led to him being dropped. And there was no rancour against Dhoni. Few cricketers will ever be so open.

My two-year journey in his company

I have been fortunate that I could not only write and speak about his batting, but also spend three tournaments - two editions of the IPL and one Champions League T20 in the span of 14 months in 2012-13 - as part of the Delhi Daredevils' support crew. This helped me gain a deeper insight into Sehwag's simple, candid and clear approach to batting and life at large.

He was blessed with remarkable talent to tear bowling attacks apart - yes, he was simply destructive - with immense self-belief and a steadfast refusal to be intimidated by the bowlers or the situation.

India must really celebrate the fact that Sehwag was born to play in the manner he did at the highest level, not just in India but also overseas.

After scoring a blazing 95 against Mumbai Indians and earning the man of the match award at the Ferozeshah Kotla in IPL 2013, he told me, "Let Mahela (Jayawardene) address the press today. He has been speaking to the media after our defeats. I think it's only fair that he goes in today," he said. It spoke volumes about the man - letting the man who replaced him as captain enjoy the media interaction in happy circumstances.

Sehwag did not mind squatting on the floor to be able to speak with his interviewer

Sehwag respected sponsors - be it the team's primary sponsor or one of the second-tier partners - since he understood the value of their support. I cannot recall even one instance where he was late for an engagement that he had committed to attend. On the contrary, he would always be at the venue a good five minutes ahead of schedule.

He was a key member of the group that launched the Dare to Care initiative, a Delhi Daredevils partnership with UNICEF, to focus on the girl child. He was briefed by a UNICEF communications officer for not more than three minutes and, when his turn to speak came, he made his points most lucidly and passionately. And he replicated that when Sony MAX interviewed him on the subject.

The fan who braved all, and the hero who reciprocated

His love for the fans is something I will cherish. Back in 2012, MS Venkat, a young Sehwag fan in Chennai, volunteered to assist the social media team in return for an audience with the daredevil. As he tweeted support for the Delhi Daredevils from his own handle as well, he copped a lot of grief from other fans in his home city - but he was game, since Sehwag played for the Daredevils.

It did not take much convincing Sehwag to meet Venkat when the team was in Chennai. Late one evening after practice, the champion met his admirer. Venkat's knees were ready to give away and he was quite dumbstruck. But Sehwag - showing more patience than he would at the batting crease - waited for the young man to collect himself.

There is one regret I have. I could not record him singing "Chala jaata hoon, kisi ki dhun mein..."

A good minute-and-a-half later, Venkat felt encouraged and confident to speak to his idol. Sehwag had a few questions to ask of the young IT professional, and thanked him for his support for the Daredevils, despite facing hostility from the supporters of the local team. Venkat's joy knew no bounds when Sehwag signed a Delhi Daredevils shirt for him.

Chala jaata hoon kisi ki dhun mein

There is one regret I have. After a particularly easy win at the Kotla - I think it was over Chennai Super Kings - the skipper was in his favourite chair in the dressing room. I did not have my dictaphone with me, and so could not record him singing - singing, I reiterate, not just humming - an evergreen Kishore Kumar number, "Chala jaata hoon, kisi ki dhun mein..." The song echoes in my ears now.

Thank you, Viru. For the magical entertainment over the years and for the tears now.

We can spend the rest of our lives trying to figure out how he blended both so effortlessly, and with such amazing simplicity. Can I stop being the sports communication professional for a moment and simply just be me?

Heck, why should I hold them tears back anymore?