When Sourav Ganguly Gave the Confidence To Virender Sehwag

Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly gave the right confidence to Virender Sehwag. Sehwag made his debut under the leadership of Ganguly. In fact, the Prince of Kolkata was instrumental in shaping the career of Virender Sehwag.

Consequently, Ganguly asked Sehwag to bat at the top of the order. In fact, Sehwag had batted in the middle order for Delhi. However, Ganguly was able to get the best of Sehwag by pushing him to the opening position. Furthermore, Ganguly pushed himself down the order to give Sehwag an opportunity.

Ganguly sacrificed his opening place for Virender Sehwag.

Moreover, there were questions raised when Sehwag was included on the foreign tour. However, the flamboyant batsman scored a fine century on his Test debut against South Africa.

Ganguly said while talking to Gaurav Kapor on Breakfast with Champions.

“Like when Viru opened. During selection, people asked why are you taking for an away tour. He won’t manage bouncers. They’ll hit him in the head with bouncers.

“And I replied: ‘You are judging him without even seeing him play or giving him an opportunity’. Then he ended up scoring a century on his debut in South Africa. After that, we did not have a position for him in the middle order, so one day I told him…Viru, no one made a career by sitting on the bench. Why don’t you open? And the opening is not a skill anyone is born with. If [Matthew] Hayden and [Justin] Langer could do it, so can you”.

Ganguly added that Virender Sehwag had doubts over his skills in the young days of his International career. However, the former Indian skipper backed Sehwag to the hilt to deliver the goods.

“Viru told me he had never opened and batted only at 5 or 6 for Delhi. ‘What if I get out?’ I told him you can get out even in the middle order. And I batted down the order so that I could have him in my team. And then he opened in England and scored a century.

“He is a little mad and keeps telling me you never played me in the middle order. I told him ‘you would not have been half the player with that kind of impact and match-winning ability…that would not have come by playing in the middle order,” Ganguly said.

Sourav Ganguly was able to get the best out of Virender Sehwag by giving him the opening position. Therefore, Ganguly was on the money in judging the capabilities of Sehwag as he turned out to be India’s best opener.

Watch Ganguly talk about Sehwag in this Breakfast of Champions episode.