Virender Sehwag to make use of IPL for national comeback

Virender Sehwag

Indian opener Virender Sehwag has expressed hope that a good outing in the upcoming IPL season will bring him back into the reckoning for the national team while also acknowledging that he simply had not scored enough runs to retain his place in the side.

Sehwag, who will be playing for the Kings XI Punjab team after they bought him for Rs 3.2 crores in the player auctions last month, said that he is waiting in anticipation for the tournament to start so that he can come back to form.

“Last season was not good for me as I was not making runs. But I hope I can do well in the IPL. It’s a new team, new players. I hope I can justify the faith my new franchise has on me,” Sehwag told reporters at a programme to launch an U-14 cricket league for boys in NCR region, a tournament to be jointly organised by Sehwag Academy and dairy products company Kwality Limited.

When quizzed about his possible comeback to the Indian team, Sehwag said : “My duty is to score runs and it is for the selectors to decide whether I should be in the team or not. Last season, I did not score runs but if I do well in IPL, I may get a chance to come back in national team. It depends on my performance.”

Sehwag was pragmatic when asked about his time away from the national team and insisted that his confidence never took a hit even during all those days.

“There was confidence even when I was not scoring. I have played for India for so long and it was because of bad days I was experiencing. Every player does experience bad days in his career,” said Sehwag, who has scored 8586 Test runs from 104 matches and 8273 runs from 251 ODIs.

Speaking of retirement and his future plans, Sehwag said : “If my body permits, I want to continue to play for two-three years. Then I will take a call.”

Sehwag, who had previously captained the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, also said that he himself told the KXIP management that he would not prefer leading the side.

“I was asked if I want to be the captain but I said if there’s other options I would prefer to be just a player. Sanjay Bangar (KXIP coach) later informed me that George Bailey will captain the side but I should play a big role in the team as I am the senior-most player,” he said.

“I am happy to play that role. My role in KXIP will be the same with what I have been doing in the Indian team. I will guide the youngsters and try to motivate them,” he added

Sehwag also confirmed that he will be back to the top of the order in the IPL after not opening for Delhi in last season’s Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches.

“I have been playing as opener in Twenty20, so I will open for KXIP in the IPL. In T20, you want to score as many runs as possible. So I will play with the same way I have been playing — hit the ball if it’s to be hit.”

Speaking of the ongoing World T20 tournament in Bangladesh, the Delhi batsman backed India to lift the trophy again.

Sehwag said, “Number one favourite is India and then West Indies and Australia. The conditions in Bangladesh are not much different from those in India and most of the players are in good touch. The Indian middle order has not been tested much. Moreover, all the Indian players have been doing well in the IPL and so India are the top favourites.”