Player Battles: Virender Sehwag versus Viv Richards

Two giants of the game

Although India emerged victorious in the high scoring ODI series against England, doubts over India’s opening pair only grew stronger as everyone at the top struggled to score freely. Watching Indian openers fail consistently on such flat tracks, fans couldn’t stop thinking how destructive the swashbuckler Sehwag would have been on these batting paradises.

Of course, Sehwag cannot be compared with anyone else as he was a unique entertainer with an unorthodox approach. One name that props up while discussing the former Indian opener is the fearless and powerful West Indian great, Viv Richards!

Comparing two cricketers from two different eras can become irrational but it won’t do no harm if we peep into some stats and look at some of their records. Let’s try to make this as entertaining as their batting.

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#1 Strike rate 

Both Sehwag and Richards were known for their aggressive approach and quick scoring rate. Comparing their strike rates make little sense as both batted in different eras. During Sehwag’s time, batsmen scored freely, while Richard’s era saw batsmen play cautiously. So, who was more aggressive? Let’s compare these men with their colleagues in their era.

If we look at batsmen who faced more than 5000 balls during Sehwag’s ODI career, Sehwag tops the chart with a strike rate of 104.33. However, he is closely followed by Adam Gilchrist - 98.72 and AB de Villiers - 93.15. Richards had a strike rate of 90.20 and is way ahead of second-ranked Dean Jones - 76.25 and Allan Border - 70.39.  

It would have been pretty terrifying to bowl to Vivian Richards.