Virender Sehwag builds his perfect batsman in Cricket; berates Sachin Tendulkar for this player

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag, who retired from international cricket in 2015, shared his picks for the best players of various iconic cricket shots. The Delhi-born batting legend revealed which cricketers can play strokes like the cover drive, straight drive, cut shot, flick, and pull shot better than anyone else.

Virender Sehwag played a key role in India’s two World Cup victories. He was part of the squad that won the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007. Sehwag was also a member of the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning team, which ended India’s 28-year title drought with a memorable win over Sri Lanka in the final.

Unki Cover Drive Dekhke Aanand Aa Jaata Hai - Virender Sehwag

In a video shared by Cricbuzz, Virender Sehwag was asked about who has the best shots. Sehwag said Sachin Tendulkar was the master of the cover drive in his era, but Virat Kohli currently plays the shot with unmatched elegance and flair. He picked Tendulkar for the straight drive without hesitation.

"Cover drive mere zamane mein toh Tendulkar khelte the, but aaj ke zamane mein agar pick karna ho toh Virat Kohli. Kyunki unki cover drive dekhke aanand aa jaata hai," Sehwag said.

"Straight drive mein Tendulkar ko koi beat nahi kar sakta, toh main unhi ke saath jaaunga. Jab non-striker par khade hote the aur wo straight drive maarte the, toh yeh darr bhi rehta tha ki kahin main run out na ho jaaun!" he added.

Cut Toh Mujhse Behtar Kaun Maarta Hai Yaar - Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag, known for his fearless strokeplay, backed himself as the best when it comes to the cut shot. He picked Virat Kohli for the flick shot. When it came to the pull shot, Sehwag chose Rohit Sharma over others, including Ricky Ponting.

"Cut toh mujhse behtar kaun maarta hai yaar, kabhi-kabhi apni taarif bhi kar leni chahiye. Flick shayad Virat Kohli, kyunki unka bhi flick bahut takda hai. Pull shot — Rohit Sharma. Bahut log maarte hain, Ponting bhi hai, but Sharma ji jo maarte hain na, ghabraate nahi hain," Sehwag opined.

David Warner Ko Toh Main Chuneunga - Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag praised Tillakaratne Dilshan for popularizing the scoop shot, saying it was always entertaining to watch him play it. He wrapped up his picks by naming David Warner and Kevin Pietersen as two of the best when it came to playing the reverse sweep and switch hit.

"Scoop? Dil scoop toh Dilshan maarta tha, mazaa aata tha usse dekhkar. Do players hain jo bahut tagdi reverse sweep aur switch shot maarte the — ek David Warner, aur doosra Kevin Pietersen. David Warner ko toh main chuneunga, kyunki woh mere saath khela hai... mera hi baccha hai, samajh lo," Sehwag concluded.

Sehwag scored 8,586 runs in 104 Tests at an average of 49.34 and a strike rate of 82.23, including 23 centuries and 32 fifties. He is the only Indian to have hit two triple hundreds in Tests.

Sehwag played in 251 ODIs, scoring 8,273 runs with 15 centuries and 38 fifties. He made history in 2011 by becoming only the second player, after Sachin Tendulkar, to score a double century in the format. Sehwag also played 19 T20Is, adding 394 runs with two half-centuries to his name.

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