Former India opener Virender Sehwag has revealed that he once came close to quitting One-Day International cricket, only to be persuaded otherwise by his long-time opening partner, Sachin Tendulkar.

The turning point came during the 2007–08 Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia. Sehwag, then struggling for runs, managed only 81 runs in his first five innings, averaging 16.20 with a top score of 33.

Captain MS Dhoni dropped him for the remaining matches, and he watched from the sidelines as India went on to beat Sri Lanka and Australia in the finals.

“I wasn’t part of the playing XI for a while, and I started thinking there was no point in continuing with ODI cricket,” Sehwag recalled.

“I told Tendulkar I was considering retirement. That’s when he shared his own experience from 1999–2000, when he too had thought about quitting. He advised me not to take any decision in an emotional state, to give myself a couple of series, and then decide,” he added.

Heeding Tendulkar’s advice paid off. Sehwag returned six months later in the Kitply Cup, scoring 150 runs in three matches, including two half-centuries, and regaining his form.

The comeback ultimately led to his role in India’s victorious 2011 World Cup campaign.

By the end of his ODI career, Sehwag had amassed 8,273 runs in 251 matches, becoming one of India’s most destructive limited-overs batsmen.

The former opener also spoke about his son Aryavir’s cricketing journey in Delhi’s age-group circuit.

“I’ve told him that pressure is something you create, not something you take. He can play the way he wants if he’s interested in becoming a cricketer. He’s just 15, works hard, and hopefully will go on to play for India or in the Ranji Trophy,” Sehwag said.

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