Sehwag Reveals Dhoni Dropped Him; Sachin’s Advice Saved His Career

Virender Sehwag disclosed how Dhoni dropped him in 2007-08, pushing him towards retirement. Sachin Tendulkar’s timely advice changed his mind. He returned stronger, became vice-captain, and played a key role in India’s 2011 World Cup win. A story of resilience and mentorship.

New Delhi: Virender Sehwag, one of the most explosive batsmen in Indian cricket, revealed a period in his career when he was dropped from the team and was thinking of retiring. Sehwag said on the YouTube channel of commentator Padmajeet Sehwag that after the first 3 matches against Australia in 2007-08, the then captain MS Dhoni dropped him from the team. After this, he did not get a chance to return to the team for a long time, due to which he had decided to retire from ODI cricket.

Sachin Tendulkar's advice changed his fate

Sehwag said that when he was going through this phase of despair, he took advice from Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin explained to him that "no big decision should be taken emotionally." Sachin shared his own experience and said that he too had seen a similar phase in 1999-2000, and he too was thinking about retirement, but with time the situations changed. He advised Sehwag to play 1-2 more series and then take a decision.

Poor performance in the 2008 Tri Series

Sehwag accepted that his performance in the 2008 Tri Series (India, Australia, and Sri Lanka) was very poor. He scored only 81 runs in 5 matches, while Gautam Gambhir scored 440 runs and Sachin Tendulkar scored 399 runs to strengthen the team. Due to this poor form, he had to be dropped from the team.

Sachin's advice helped him make a comeback and win the 2011 World Cup

Sachin's advice gave Sehwag new enthusiasm. He kept patience and made a comeback after some time and made his place in the Indian team. He was also involved in the 2011 World Cup victory, in which India defeated Sri Lanka and won the World Cup after 28 years. Apart from this, Sehwag was also made the vice-captain of the team.

"Patience and experience win."

This story of Sehwag teaches us how important it is to be patient and take the right guidance in difficult times. If Sachin had not given him time, then perhaps Indian cricket would not have gotten Sehwag's contribution in the historic victory of the 2011 World Cup. This incident is a lesson for the players that instead of getting scared of the challenges coming in their careers, they should face them.