Thus Spake Sehwag

His tongue is as sharp as his square cuts. Presenting some of Sehwag's memorable quotes.

I think if I get to face Narine, I will smash him all around the park. His tricks won’t work against me.
— Sehwag does not rate Narine's wizardry.





If we have good weather for five days then we can get a result either way, which is good. Because we are not here to play drawn matches.
— On playing in Pakistan. Clearly the defensive approach of the previous generations is not for Sehwag. [2006]




Everyone wants to shampoo and style his hair. I am one of them. 

— On why he had a hair transplant. [2010]




Baap baap hota hai, beta beta hota hai.

— What he told Shoaib Akhtar, who was sledging him before Sachin Tendulkar punished him. [2010]




Did you see my catch? 

— On insinuations that he's a slower fielder. He had taken a stunner in that game against Sri Lanka. [2012]




Whatever you tell No. 10 or No. 11, they always do what they want to do. 

— On Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron's madcap partnership in a nail-biting win over West Indies. [2011]




It's difficult to tell you. I will not comment on that. 

— On what Duncan Fletcher has brought to the Indian team, a comment which perhaps reveals more than it hides. [2012]




He never gives interviews before, during or after the series. He only comes to the media when he scores runs. Whenever he scores a 100 or more he comes in and handles the media.

— On why Tendulkar refused to face the media during India's horror run in England and Australia. [2011]




This is the first time in the last ten years that I've played a maiden over.

— Mumbai's Lasith Malinga made an impression on the Delhi dasher. [2011]




Everyone did well... other than Sreesanth.

— His unvarnished view of India's win over Bangladesh in the World Cup opener. [2011]




I am not bothered whether they are undercover or overcover. I am clean.

— ICC's move to send undercover agents to tempt cricketers into indiscretions does not impress Sehwag. [2010]




If fielders are there I can hit towards mid-off, midwicket or mid-on. Because I don't want to play boring Test cricket. 

— Sri Lanka placed a third-man, deep point and sweeper for Sehwag in the third Test in Colombo. He still made 109 in 105 balls, setting up a series-saving win. [2010]




Bangladesh are an ordinary side. 

— Sehwag's comment ahead of the Test series in Bangladesh caused a furore - but time proved him right. — [2010]




In the dressing room they told me I was hitting the good balls too, but if you look at it my way I hit only the bad ones.

— Having made 284 runs in one day of Test cricket, Sehwag seemed to have blurred the difference between good and bad balls. [2009]




I try to hum songs, bhajans, Sai Baba bhajans, Kishore Kumar songs, especially those pictured on Amitabh Bachchan, till the bowler is about to deliver. I try to sing songs as perfectly as possible in order to keep my mind completely uncluttered. 

— On how he focuses while batting.




I don't listen to people, don't watch TV and don't read newspapers. It's better to use the time to work on your game. 

— Idle talk is not for Sehwag.




I don't believe in technique, I believe in performance. If you are tough, whether you have technique or not, you'll survive. 

— On his unorthodox manner of scoring runs.




I don't believe in astrology but my family members do. Too many people used to call up and pester me and my family to use different numbers. I was so fed up that I decided not to take any of their advices. 

— On why his jersey sported no number. [2008]




Boycott can say what he wants. He once batted the whole day and hit just one four. 

— On Geoff Boycott's comment that Sehwag was talented but did not have brains. Sehwag was dismissed after playing a rash shot in a Test match in Colombo. [2008]




The world record really doesn't matter, I didn't know we were close to the record until I came back to the dressing-room.

— On adding 410 for the opening wicket with Rahul Dravid, three short of the record.




I have no fear while batting. If there is a loose ball to hit, I go out there and hit it. That's the way I play my game.

— On his playing style.




t would become risky if I try to become defensive, since my technique is not that good. I think in a different way. When I grew up, I tried to score off every ball, be it a 10-over-match, a 20-over or even a Test match. If I stay in the wicket for say about 30 minutes, I want to make the most of it and score maximum runs possible. You never know when you get out, try to score as much possible before that.

— On why he doesn't bat defensively. [2010]




People say I take too many risks. But the fact is, there is risk involved in every shot. You can get out trying to defend a ball as well. At times, people tell me to leave ball outside the off-stump. But some of them can jag back and get you out if you don't play shots. I think if you think so much, you simply cannot bat.

— On taking risks. [2010]




I was playing my shots throughout the innings, but I started thinking about 200 in the batting Powerplay, and when Sammy dropped the catch I thought, ‘God is with me.’ 

— On his record 219 against West Indies [2011]