Richards recently credited Sehwag for reviving Test cricket.
Legendary West Indies batter Sir Viv Richards recently credited former India opener Virender Sehwag for reviving Test cricket.
Richards, the two-time ODI World Cup winner, confessed that he used to wake up at 3 AM to watch Sehwag bat, and for him, the latter was a game-changer.
“When I watched Sehwag bat, I saw a reflection of myself. I found him even more dangerous than Shahid Afridi and Adam Gilchrist," said Richards in an interview with News24.
“Test cricket was fading, but Sehwag revived the format. The kind of excitement he brought to the game is one of the reasons 15,000 to 20,000 fans are turning up even today to watch a weakened West Indies team—that’s Sehwag’s legacy," he added.
After Richards’ comments about him went viral on social media, Sehwag took to X on Monday (October 13) to thank the Caribbean icon for the high praise.
“Humbled, Sir @ivivianrichards You made bowlers fear batsmen — I just kept the tradition alive for the next generation. Test cricket will never die as long as there’s joy in attacking it!" Sehwag wrote.
Virender Sehwag amassed 8,586 runs from 104 Tests at an average of 49.34 and a strike rate of 82.24 during his illustrious career. He also has 8,273 runs for India in 251 ODIs. He remains one of the four batters to score two triple tons in Tests. He was the first captain to score an ODI double ton as well.