Virender Sehwag: Why Is He The Best Choice For India’s New Head Coach?

With the spotlight being focused on the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy, Virender Sehwag, in the backdrop, recently became one of the most notable names in the list of applicants for the India’s head coach position.

Anil Kumble, the current chief coach will have to resign after the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 and it will be the time to pick a new coach for the No. 1 Test team in the world. Kumble, had an automatic entry for applying for the position while bigshots like Australian Tom Moody, Englishman Richard Pybus, India’s Dodda Ganesh as well as Lalchand Rajput (Former India A coach) and Virender Sehwag have applied for the job.

While Moody and Rajput also applied the last time, Virender Sehwag’s entry in the list is going to change the scenario here.

Virender Sehwag was one of India’s biggest match-winners and was a part of two-time World Cup winning Indian squad. He has played 104 Tests and 251 ODIs for the team, scoring 8586 and 8273 runs respectively. He also joined Kings XI Punjab this IPL season as the head coach but despite being new to the coaching profile, there are many reasons why he could be appointed as India’s next head coach.

Here are the reasons why ‘Virender Sehwag aka the ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ could be the best choice for the job.

1. Good Rapport With Current Indian Team Members

Virender Sehwag had been playing in the Indian Premier League until the 2015 season and knows the youth inside out. Moreover, Virat Kohli, the current Indian team captain, has never failed to mention the help he received from Virender Sehwag during his domestic cricket days and both have played with each other as part of the International side.

Another advantage that Virender Sehwag has, is his relations with two of the most experienced players in the current squad, MS Dhoni, and Yuvraj Singh, despite the former being the reason of Sehwag’s ouster from the team.

2. IPL Coaching Experience

Virender Sehwag is one of the handful senior cricketers who were present at the time of the T20 evolution and has also performed in the format. With 300 and 200 becoming a par score in T20 and ODI format respectively, the Indian team could get some insights from the former openers and the mantra of a good first wicket partnership, which they literally are in need of, as of now.

Moreover, his experience as the Kings XI Punjab’s coach in IPL 2017 might also turn out to be a deal breaker and Virender Sehwag will definitely connect with the new breed of going-at-it-hard cricketers.

3. Unprecedented And Unconventional Approach

Sticking to a rule book is not Virender Sehwag’s cup of tea and we have seen this during his days with the Indian Cricket team. He likes to take the challenge towards the bowlers and appreciate a laugh every now and then. These two factors make him the most unconventional players on the ground and the same could be carried forward to the dressing room as the head coach’s position. New Zealand’s John Wright and South Africa’s Gary Kirsten were two of the finest coaches that India ever got and they both followed the same approach. Who can forget the emotional Gary Kirsten after the ICC World Cup 2011 victory?

Anil Kumble, the current Indian coach, is said to have made Indian dressing room not the most comfortable place to be in and Virender Sehwag’s appointment could be the breath of fresh air that Virat Kohli and his men need.

4. On-Field Experience

Virender Sehwag has played 104 Tests, 251 ODIs, and 19 T20Is during his illustrious career and has been all over the globe, scoring on both flat decks and abrupt turners. His experience on the strips of South Africa, West Indies, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and England, will definitely prove as a plus point in his consideration as the head coach.

5. Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman Being In The Group of Selectors.

Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag were part of the formidable batting force for over a decade and three of them have been entrusted to select the new Indian head coach, which might turn into the favor of the Nawab.

Virender Sehwag rarely happened to be in a fight with anybody during his International cricket days and it’s the same nature that makes him an easily acceptable persona in the dressing room, which, as said earlier, is the need of the hour. However, you can rule out the possibility that Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman might be biased while making this important decision.

2 June 2017
Rohan Jaitly