Batting great Sachin Tendulkar revealed how his former teammate and ex India's explosive batter Virender Sehwag used to do just the opposite what Master Blaster wanted him to do. Sachin Tendulkar made this revelation during a courtesy visit to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi on February 6. Tendulkar paid the visit to India president with his wife Anjali and daughter Sara.
Tendulkar was invited to attend an event at Rashtrapati Bhavan as a personal guest of President Droupadi Murmu. The event was attended by several prominent figures from various fields. Following the event, President Murmu took to social media to share details about the gathering and also shared her interaction with the cricketing legend.
“Cricket legend Shri Sachin Tendulkar along with his family members called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Later, in an interactive session under the RB initiative 'Rashtrapati Bhavan Vimarsh Shrinkhala', he shared principles of motivation through anecdotes from his own journey as a cricketer,” The President posted on X.
I had to say the opposite to get the best out of Virender Sehwag: him Sachin Tendulkar
Tendulkar, during interactive session at Rashtrapati Bhavan, reminisced his time with former teammate Virender Sehwag during his playing days and disclosed how the explosive batter had a different approach for the game and used to function differently.
“With Sehwag, he would often do the opposite of what I wanted. So, if I wanted him to defend for a few overs, I would tell him, 'Viru, go and start blasting the bowlers.' He would then say, 'No paaji, I think I should defend for four overs first and then attack.' I had to say the opposite to get the best out of him, and I would smile, knowing I had achieved what I wanted," said Tendulkar.
Tendulkar and Sehwag had very different approaches to the game of cricket. Sehwag’s strategy was straightforward—see the ball and hit it—while Tendulkar preferred to focus on building his innings with precision and patience. Despite these differences, Tendulkar adapted his approach when partnering with both Sourav Ganguly and Sehwag in ODIs, tailoring his game to complement each player's style.
Together, they dominated some of the best bowling attacks from teams like South Africa, Pakistan, and England, contributing significantly to India's success. Over the course of their partnership, Tendulkar and Sehwag accumulated 3919 runs in 93 ODI innings, averaging 42, with 12 century partnerships. While Sehwag’s aggressive style slightly impacted their average, the duo consistently delivered strong performances, often scoring at nearly a run a ball or more. However, their partnership was slightly less productive when playing away from home, as Sehwag's aggressive play suited the flatter, more batting-friendly pitches of India.
Tendulkar also talked about Yuvraj Singh's battle with cancer midway through the 2011 ODI World Cup. He recalled how Yuvraj Singh looked looked low on energy before 2011 World Cup started and he had no clue that the former star all-rounder would be diagnosed with cancer later.
"I called Yuvi for dinner and asked him why he looked a bit down on energy. He said, paaji, I am not timing the ball well. I told him to forget about batting and concentrate on fielding. Set some fielding goals. I told him, 'Yuvi, you will matter when it matters', and the spring in his strides was back," Tendulkar added.