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‘If you don’t score, they will write badly': When Virender Sehwag left captain Sourav Ganguly speechless
Aakash Chopra shared a story about Virender Sehwag's honesty during a discussion with Sourav Ganguly, highlighting his ability to blend seriousness with comedy.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra shared a light-hearted yet telling story about his ex-opening partner and batting legend Virender Sehwag, showcasing the Nawab of Najafgarh’s trademark honesty and humour, both on and off the field.
Speaking on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan, Chopra recalled how Sehwag’s candid nature often led to moments of unintentional comedy, even in serious discussions.
Chopra said Sehwag did not even shy away from speaking his mind to former India captain Sourav Ganguly.
“Sehwag used to talk with complete seriousness, but it always turned funny somehow,” Chopra said with a laugh. “Once, Dada (Sourav Ganguly) was quite upset with the media for not writing positively about him. Sehwag just looked at him and said, ‘Dada, it’s simple — if you don’t score runs, they’ll write you played badly. If you score runs, they’ll praise you. So what’s the big deal? Just score runs.’”
Chopra said the comment left everyone amused, describing it as a “mic-drop moment” that only Sehwag could deliver so effortlessly. “That was Sehwag — brutally honest, funny without trying, and completely fearless. He could say something like that even to his captain,” Chopra added.
Virender Sehwag, one of India’s greatest-ever openers, was part of the country’s 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup-winning squad and remains among the most explosive batters to have played the game. Across formats, he amassed 17,253 runs in 374 matches at an average of 40.31, with 38 centuries and 72 fifties, making him the seventh-highest run-getter for India in international cricket.
He was also the first Indian to record a triple century in Test cricket — a blistering 309 against Pakistan in Multan in 2004. Sehwag’s dominance in the longest format is well-documented, having scored 8,586 runs in 104 Tests at an impressive average of 49.34, including 32 hundreds and a career-best 319.
Currently, the former opener continues to entertain fans as a broadcaster, known for his sharp wit and straightforward insights — much like the ones he displayed during his playing days.
