"I never had any fear..." - Virender Sehwag brutally mocks Bangladesh with disrespectful statement
Published - 21 Feb 2025, 04:47 PM | Updated - 21 Feb 2025, 11:41 PM
Former India opener Virender Sehwag took a cheeky dig at Bangladesh after the Men in Blue's six-wicket win in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Sehwag stated that he never feared Bangladesh even during his playing days and added that there was never any real concern for India in the recent match.
India secured a six-wicket win over Bangladesh in their Group A clash at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday, February 20. After opting to bat, Bangladesh collapsed to 35/5 but managed to recover and post 228 runs. India struggled in the middle overs but reached the target with 21 balls to spare.
When I Was Playing, I Never Had Any Fear - Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag dismissed the notion that Bangladesh posed a serious threat to India in their Champions Trophy clash. Speaking on Cricbuzz Live, he stated that neither he nor the fans would have felt any tension during the chase. Sehwag said that they are not a team like Australia or Pakistan.
“I don’t think there would have been (any tension) among the fans. It’s Bangladesh… you guys have made me praise them so much as if they are an incredible team,” Virender Sehwag said on Cricbuzz Live.
“(Scared) of Bangaldesh? When I was playing, I never had any fear so what would I have been scared of today in this studio,” he replied at a question of feeling tense during the chase. “It’s Bangladesh, not Australia or Pakistan, that they would be very unpredictable. I don’t think there would have been even 1% of fear in the hearts of any fan during that match.”
I Could See This Match Getting Over in 35 Overs - Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag felt that India could have wrapped up the chase much earlier. He stated that Shubman Gill played a composed innings and added that the match would have finished in just 35 overs had Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, or Shreyas Iyer stayed at the crease longer.
“It was a very easy game. Got there with almost four overs to spare. Gill was composed, playing slowly. Had Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli or Shreyas Iyer stayed on the crease for longer, I could see this match getting over in 35 overs also,” he said.
Bangladesh Had a Chance to Put India Under More Pressure
Bangladesh had a chance to put India under more pressure by exposing their lower middle order during the chase. However, Jaker Ali dropped a catch in the deep off Taskin Ahmed’s bowling in the 37th over, giving KL Rahul a reprieve. After that, India comfortably chased down the target to secure victory.
Bangladesh entered the Champions Trophy clash with a strong recent record against India. They won a bilateral series 2-1 in 2022 and defeated their rivals in a tight contest during the 2023 Asia Cup.
However, India overcame them in Dubai and will now turn their focus to their upcoming match against Pakistan at the same venue on Sunday, February 23.
