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'Dhoni did it, Kohli and Rohit are doing it. If you can't...': Sehwag's no-holds-barred ultimatum for IPL great
Virender Sehwag had a blunt message for the Indian Premier League star as he talked about players extending their career by working on fitness.
The Lucknow Super Giants have had a fairly inconsistent season in the 2023 Indian Premier League so far. The side had made a strong start, winning four of its first six games; however, LSG won only one of their next five, while also losing the services of their captain KL Rahul due to a hamstring injury. Super Giants' last victory came on April 28 against Punjab Kings and the side – now led by Krunal Pandya – will be desperate for a revival as they meet Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday afternoon.
In the game against the SRH, the side picked veteran leg-spinner Amit Mishra in the XI, who has impressed in select appearances for the Super Giants this season. The 40-year-old spinner has taken six wickets in as many appearances this year so far, while bowling at an impressive economy rate of 7.27.
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The 2023 season has been one of revivals; many veteran Indian cricketers have produced solid performances this year. While Ajinkya Rahane and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have put out explosive performances with the bat, Mohit Sharma has also proved lethal for the Gujarat Titans. Wriddhiman Saha, meanwhile, has also played efficient knocks as opener for the Titans while Mumbai Indians' leg-spinner Piyush Chawla is among the top wicket-takers this season.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag, hence, believes that Amit Mishra should also work on his fitness and come back stronger in the next edition of the tournament.
“His (Amit Mishra's) talent didn't go anywhere. As age grows, you go slower. A batter retires because he had to field for 20 overs, keep himself fit. If you hand Sunny bhai (Sunil Gavaskar) a bat even today, he can hit some great shots. But running between the wickets, fielding, and recovery... that won't happen,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz ahead of LSG's game against Sunrisers.
“I always say to cricketers, extend your career as much as possible. Mishra ji has one year; he can make a great transformation and extend his career. Dhoni has done it, Kohli and Rohit are doing that as well, even Dhawan. They're all doing it so they can extend their career by a year or two. And they all have good fitness. If Mishraji is listening, play next year as well, put on the hard yards. If you can't, contact me, I'll make sure you do,” Sehwag further said.
