"Have given him a lot of business" - Virender Sehwag opens up on his relationship with Shoaib Akhtar
Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has revealed that he shares an amazing bond with ex-Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar.
During his appearance on 'The Ranveer Show', Sehwag mentioned that while he makes fun of Akhtar on social media, he has also helped him sign a number of business deals.
Speaking about his friendship with the former fast bowler, he said:
"I made a lot of friends from the Pakistani team, but my closest friend was Shoaib Akhtar. He is a very dear friend, which is why I keep pulling his leg. I have given him a lot of business.
"Wherever I go, I tell them that I have a great bond with Akhatar, and they invite him too. A documentary is being made on India-Pakistan cricket, and I requested them to include Akhtar as I was sure that fans would love our partnership."
He claimed that Akhtar is a very chilled-out guy, but becomes a different person when he is on camera. He also suggested that the Rawalpindi-born cricketer had asked him not to make fun of him on camera, adding:
"Shoaib Akhatar is a very good person in real life, I don't know what happens to him on camera. He is a different person when he is on camera. Off camera, he is very jovial and a fun person. I enjoy engaging with him, but he asks me not to make fun of him on camera."
Notably, the two cricket stars share a great camaraderie off the field. Sehwag, on several occasions, has made fun of Akhtar on social media in a hilarious fashion. However, it has had little impact on their friendship.
"Wanted to score a triple hundred to get a massage" - Virender Sehwag on scoring 309 against Pakistan
Virender Sehwag scripted history in the Multan Test against Pakistan in 2004, becoming the first-ever Indian batter to score a triple century in Test cricket. The swashbuckler played a scintillating knock of 309 in the encounter.
The 44-year-old recalled that his body had no energy after batting for six hours in the game. He stated that he was unbeaten at 228, and he requested the Indian team's physio Andrew Leipus to give him a massage.
Sehwag revealed that Leipus told him that he would only give him a massage once he crossed the 300-run mark.
On this, he said:
"I scored 228 after batting the entire day. I was completely drained and had no energy in my body. I asked Andrew Leipus, who was our physio, to give me a massage. He said that he would only give me a massage after my 300.
"The motivation for me was that I wanted to score a triple hundred to get a massage from him. When I returned to the pavilion after scoring 309, he massaged me for an hour and a half.
On This Day - Virender Sehwag became the first Indian player to score 300 runs in a single test innings. The Nawab of Najafgarh achieved this feat against Pakistan, scoring 309 runs in 375 balls.
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Thanks to Sehwag's stunning batting exploits, India beat Pakistan by an innings and 52 runs in the Test series opener.