There is tremendous competition on the cricket field between India and Pakistan. When both these teams are on the field, the eyes of the whole world are fixed on this match. When these two teams used to face each other 20 years ago, the rivalry between India's Virender Sehwag and Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar was worth watching. While Sehwag changed the definition of opening, Akhtar was considered a merchant of pace.
There was fierce competition between the two on the field, while there was a great friendship between the two outside the field. The two were also often seen using profanity against each other on the field. However, now a new story has been added to that relationship. In the show 'Breakfast with Champions, Sehwag was asked a question about this friendship. Anchor asked- You guys make fun of each other a lot and taunt. Is there friendship behind this joke?
On this, Sehwag said – Where there is love or friendship, there is bound to be a joke or a fight. My friendship with Shoaib Akhtar dates back to 2003-04. We have been to Pakistan twice, he has come to India twice. We are friends and we pull each other's legs. Shoaib had given a statement – I have more notes (money) than the number of hairs on Virender Sehwag's head. Now my hair is higher than your notes. This would be a good tagline for 'Breakfast with Champions'.
Apart from this, Sehwag also talked about the excitement of the IPL 2023 final. In the final played between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings, Ravindra Jadeja gave CSK victory by scoring 10 runs in the last two balls of the match. The final over of the match was going according to plan for GT, with Mohit Sharma conceding only three runs from the first four balls. However, on the last ball, Mohit deviated a bit from the line and he ended up giving a full toss at the leg stump. Sehwag was also not happy to see this.
During one of the shows, Sehwag chided Hardik for deciding to intervene despite Mohit having bowled a planned yorker in the first five balls. Sehwag said- When someone is bowling well and putting yorkers, why would you go and talk to him? He knows that the batsman needs 10 runs in two balls and he can stick to his yorker plan. Then why would you waste his time? If runs were being scored off Mohit's ball, then you can go and talk to him, but if the bowler is doing his job well, then you want the over to be over as soon as possible.
Sehwag said- It could also be that the captain has come with a concern about whether the bowler wants any change in the field for the last two balls or not. But still, if I was there in Hardik's place, I would not have bothered him. On the last ball of Mohit, Jadeja sent a lower full toss on the leg stump outside the fine leg boundary, making Chennai Super Kings the champion for the fifth time. CSK has become champion in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023 under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
(pc amarujala)
