Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 15: Former India opener Virender Sehwag revealed a surprising moment in his career when he considered retiring early from One-Day Internationals (ODIs). The aggressive right-hander, who scored over 17,000 international runs, said he was dropped during the 2007-08 ODI tri-series in Australia under MS Dhoni’s captaincy — an incident that made him contemplate leaving the format.

Speaking on Padamjeet Sehrawat's YouTube channel, Sehwag said, “In 2007-08, during the Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia, I played the first three matches and then MS Dhoni dropped me. I wasn’t picked for a while after that. I felt that if I couldn’t be part of the playing XI, there was no point in continuing with ODI cricket.”

Sehwag credits cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar for helping him regain his belief. “I went to Tendulkar and told him I was thinking of retiring from ODIs. He said he had gone through a similar phase in 1999-2000. He advised me not to make decisions in the heat of emotion, to give myself 1-2 series, and then take a call. After that, I played the next series, scored heavily, and later was part of the 2011 World Cup-winning team.”

Sehwag made his ODI debut against arch-rivals Pakistan in 1999 and his Test debut against South Africa in 2001. He remains the only Indian batsman to score two triple centuries in Test cricket. In ODIs, he boasts a highest score of 219 against the West Indies in 2011.

Over his illustrious career, Sehwag played 104 Tests, scoring 8,586 runs at an average of 49.34, with 23 centuries and 32 half-centuries. He was named ICC Test Player of the Year in 2010 after scoring 1,282 runs in 10 matches, including six centuries.

In 251 ODIs, the fearless opener scored 8,273 runs at a strike rate of over 104, including 15 centuries and 38 half-centuries. He was also an integral part of India’s 2007 World T20 and 2011 World Cup-winning squads, leaving a lasting mark on Indian cricket history.