Virender Sehwag’s career is remembered for its fearless strokeplay and ability to change the course of a match in a single session. The former India opener was the first from the country to hit a triple century in Tests and once held the record for the highest individual score in ODIs. However, for all his audacious batting and style, a childhood story revealed by his son Aryavir Sehwag has put it out there that once, he couldn’t bat long enough, not even till his family reached the stadium. For Aryavir, one of the earliest memories of watching his father play came with an unusual twist. In a video shared recently by Delhi Capitals on their social media, the 17-year-old recalled how traffic in the capital once denied him the chance to see his father bat in the IPL. “Earliest memory… I feel that all the matches that used to happen in Delhi, we used to go watch those matches mostly. Especially when dad used to play for Delhi Daredevils,” Aryavir said. “My first memory is that, Dad was playing in Delhi. Unfortunately, he got out very early, even before we were able to reach the stadium. There’s a lot of traffic in Delhi during the IPL and he got out before we could reach the stadium.” While the recollection brought humour, it also highlighted the admiration Aryavir has developed over the years. “From childhood, I had the habit of playing with plastic bat and ball. Me and my brother, we played a lot of cricket growing up, because that’s what we saw, seeing dad play,” he shared. Now playing in the Delhi Premier League, Aryavir admitted that professional cricket has changed his perspective. “As I am playing professional cricket for the last 2-3 years, I am slowly understanding what kind of player my dad was,” he said.
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Quoting one of Sehwag’s lines, Aryavir added, “Ghar ki murgi dal barabar (Home-cooked chicken seems as good as dal).” He disagreed, though. “But it’s not like that. As I’m playing, I’m understanding a lot about him and how great of a player he was. I really idolize him. Watching him, you feel that the things he’s done aren’t easy. I get a lot of inspiration and motivation from him.”
