Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag, known for his aggressive batting and exceptional stroke play, has revealed that he had considered retiring from the 50-over format before the 2011 World Cup after being dropped from India's playing XI back in the day.
Sehwag also remarked that it was the great Sachin Tendulkar who convinced him and insisted he keep playing the format, describing the period as a bad phase.
The explosive Indian opener went on to play a key role in the Men in Blue lifting the World Cup after 28 years, beating Sri Lanka in the final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai
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'I thought of retiring from ODI cricket after Dhoni dropped me,' says Sehwag
Sehwag's story goes back to the year 2007-2008, when he was dropped from the playing eleven after his disappointing returns in the Commonwealth Bank series.
The Commonwealth Bank series was a tri-nation series involving three champion teams of the time - India, Australia, and Sri Lanka. In the first five games of the series, Sehwag only managed to score 81 runs at an average of 16.20.
MS Dhoni, who was the Indian skipper at the time, dropped Sehwag from the side for the last three games against Sri Lanka and Australia, which India eventually won.
"In the 2007-08 series in Australia, I played the first three (five) matches and then MS Dhoni dropped me from the side. I wasn’t picked for a while after that. Then I felt that if I can’t be a part of the playing XI, then there was no point in my playing ODI cricket," Sehwag said in an interview with Padamjeet Sehrawat.
Sachin convinced Sehwag to keep playing for India in ODIs
The great Indian opener also revealed that while he had made up his mind to quit the format, it was the legendary Sachin Tendulkar who convinced him not to do so.
"Then I went to Tendulkar and said, 'I am thinking of retiring from ODIs'. He said, 'No, I went through a similar phase in 1999-2000, where I felt I should leave cricket. But that phase came and went. So, you are going through a trough, but it will pass. Don’t make any decision when you are emotional. Give yourself some time and 1-2 series, and then take a call.'
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Sehwag, then, made his comeback Kitply Cup, scoring 150 runs in three matches, which included three half-centuries. He further went on to play the 2011 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, where he was one of India's most consistent performers. He ended his career with 8273 runs in 251 ODIs.