It’s been over five years since Virender Sehwag retired from mainstream cricket, but even at 42, he seems to retain some of his old touch with the bat.
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On a day when Rishabh Pant mounted an attack on England bowlers in Ahmedabad, Sehwag, India’s original swashbuckler in Test cricket, rolled back the years with a boundary-filled knock in Raipur.
Playing for India Legends in the Road Safety World Series, a T20 competition featuring retired stars from six countries, Sehwag was back to his fierce, impudent approach against bowlers, smashing a 35-ball 80 against Bangladesh.
In true Sehwag fashion, he started off with a four, carting Mohammad Rafique, Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner of yesteryear, over extra cover with an inside-out lofted drive. It was an instant reminder of his fabulous run in the 2011 World Cup, when he hit the first ball of every innings he faced for a boundary.
Wearing the spectacles that became a feature of his batting in the final stages of his career, Sehwag hit 10 fours and five sixes in his 35-ball knock, taking India to a 10-wicket victory alongside Sachin Tendulkar, his erstwhile opening partner in international cricket.
The famed cuts, drives and hoicks were on full display in a typically offside-dominant knock.
You can watch highlights of the knock here:
