Delhi registered their third successive victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, beating Jammu and Kashmir by 17 runs, despite another failure by Virender Sehwag. With 12 points from three matches, Delhi are through to the knock-out round of the competition that will be held in Ranchi.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) felicitated the recently-retired Virender Sehwag at his home ground Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday before the start of the fourth Test match between India and South Africa.
Aware of the fact that letting Virender Sehwag play his free-flowing game could be perilous for them in the upcoming Test series, Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson has vowed to stop the explosive Indian opener by peppering him with short-balls.
India Test discard Virender Sehwag has been roped in to captain the Marylebone Cricket Club squad in a four-day Champion County match against Durham, starting March 23, in Abu Dhabi.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni praised his opening batsmen Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag for giving the team a flying start to lay the foundation for their six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka. Sehwag and Gambhir put on 92 runs for the opening wicket in 11.4 overs to plot India's easy win over Sri Lanka and set up a summit clash on Sunday against the same opponents.
India's stand-in captain attributed the team's success to the ability of the players to take up responsibility.
They arrived in Mumbai Wednesday evening and left for Nagpur and Delhi respectively.
Axed from the Indian team for the third and fourth Test against Australia, out-of-form opener Virender Sehwag on Thursday vowed to make a comeback into the national side, saying "I trust my game".
India have flown in Dinesh Karthik as a stand-by player for injured Virender Sehwag as the visitors gear up for Tuesday's last league match of the Asia Cup against Sri Lanka.
India captain Anil Kumble on Sunday lauded rich tributes on Virender Sehwag for his blazing 319 in the first Test against South Africa, saying it is one of the best ever innings he has seen.
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat in the Twenty20 World Cup final against Pakistan in Johannesburg on Monday.
Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag on Saturday insisted that his team has a good balance even though they could afford the Australian tour hero Ishant Sharma because of his "high price". Sehwag said the gangling fast bowler was among the players he listed but decided not to bid for him because the franchisee would not have got other top players the team wanted.
The stand-in India captain appealed to the fans to repose their faith in the team and promised a fight back.
Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar hit their second successive centuries before South Africa staged a late fightback on day two of the second and final Test, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, on Sunday. At close, India were 342 for five in 76 overs, a lead of 46 runs after South Africa were bowled out for 296 in their first innings.
Satisfied with the squad at his disposal for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League, Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag believes if his side can play to its potential it can figure in the play-offs of the Twenty20 tournament this year.
Virender Sehwag smashed 113 off just 78 balls on the final day of their tour match against ACT XI that ended in a draw.
Virender Sehwag's omission from the squad for the Asia Cup took a curious turn on Thursday, with a media report claiming that the opener had requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India for rest because of back spasms.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Saturday said Virender Sehwag 'spoke foolishly' when he claimed that 'lack of setting' cost him the Indian team's coach's job.
Virender Sehwag missed out on a rare feat of scoring three triple centuries in Test cricket when he was dismissed on 293 by Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan during the third Test in Mumbai on Friday.
The Indian team's way of handling senior opener Virender Sehwag and the player's own attitude in this ongoing World Twenty20 is certain to raise questions whether all is well in the Indian camp.
He was considered the key to India's chances prior to the match. Virender Sehwag needs to fire for India to win the Mohali Test, they said.
A brilliant 107 by Virender Sehwag dispelled doubts about his finger injury but favourites Delhi suffered the ignominy of a six-wicket defeat against a determined Uttar Pradesh in a thrilling Ranji Trophy Group B match in Ghaziabad.
Former West Indies captain and team manager Richie Richardson feels playing on flat track helped Virender Sehwag but it doesn't take away anything from the Indian's 'exceptional knock' of a record 219 in the fourth One-dayer in Indore.
Virender Sehwag's prolonged form slump has become a cause of concern but the struggling opener received the backing of another swashbuckler Sanath Jayasuriya who said India needed an "impact player" like him to win matches.
After being out of action for over two months following a shoulder injury that needed surgery, dashing opener Virender Sehwag is hoping to return to top-notch cricket through the ICC Champions Trophy next month. Sehwag said he will start batting practice from the first week of September and is now able to lift 10 kg with his injured shoulder.
India found themselves in trouble despite Virender Sehwag's unbeaten half-century after Sri Lanka had amassed a huge first innings total on day three of the rain-affected first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, on Tuesday.
'The best move for him would be to go back to opening the batting. The new ball will come on to the bat; he can try and score off it.'
Chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, sprint queen P T Usha and football legend Bhaichung Bhutia are among the prominent sports personalities invited for Monday's ceremony.
Chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar has asked struggling opening batsman Virender Sehwag to curb his attacking instincts and focus on consistency.
In an injury scare, Indian opener Gautam Gambhir was on Sunday rushed to a local hospital in Chandigarh after being hit on his right wrist by a delivery during Board President XI's game against Australia only to be discharged later without any problem.
India vice captain Virender Sehwag on Wednesday threw his weight behind out-of-form Yuvraj Singh, calling him a "jewel" and predicting that the left-hander would soon be back in the Indian side after sorting out his fitness issues.
Virender Sehwag finally got some runs under his belt scoring a fluent half-century as Delhi batsmen led by Mithun Manhas made a mockery of a below-par Vidarbha attack to remain on course for a comprehensive innings victory in their Ranji Trophy match.
India has the wherewithal to defend the Twenty20 World Cup in England but openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir will have to overcome the fatigue factor if the team is to achieve the goal, reckons Sachin Tendulkar.
India have a perfect mix of world class performers and that makes them hot favourites at the upcoming World Twenty20, former batsman Virender Sehwag has said.
Images from the tri-series one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka at Dambulla on Monday.
Virender Sehwag's 'scientist' tweet on Ashwin goes viral