Phil Salt's whirlwind unbeaten 141-run innings shattered multiple records in international cricket. It was now a natural side in everyday cricket. Even in the era of limited overs cricket, Salt's record-breaking knock was something else. Over the years the world of cricket witnessed numerous swashbuckling batters, including Virender Sehwag. Sehwag in his prime was a monster with a bat. Against some of the dangerous bowlers, he just loved to toy with them with minimal footwork. If we compare these two openers from two different generations, who will emerge as better in terms of stats? Let's find out. 

Virender Sehwag:

One of the most attacking openers Indian cricket ever had. From the beginning to the end, he preferred to drive in only top gear. Even in the 'nervous 90s,' when most batters chose to play with extra caution, Sehwag, without any hesitation, often hoisted the balls for maximum or at least for boundaries. Whether it was limited overs cricket or Test matches, the Delhi-born maintained his fearless approach while batting, especially against spinners. Hailing from Najafgarh, he started his career as a middle-order batter and was then promoted to the opening spot.

For this article, we have to put aside his Test career stats, including his milestone 319-run knock, as Phil Salt is yet to discover himself in the format. In One Day Internationals, Sehwag concluded his career with a batting average of slightly over 35 after playing 251 matches. In the 50-over format, he accumulated 8273 runs in total, powered by a double century. In T20Is, he played only 19 games and scored 394 runs, which took the batting average to 21.88 with a couple of half centuries. 

ODI CAREER:

Read More: WATCH: 0 for 2! Sri Lanka put Bangladesh in deep trouble during BAN vs SL Asia Cup 2025 match

Phil Salt

The England opener established himself as a limited-over cricketer. The unbeaten 141-run innings marked his best in T20Is. In 45 T20Is, the right-handed batter smashed 1334 runs at a batting average of 37.05, powered by four hundreds and five fifties. In ODIs, the opener, as of now, notched five 50s and a single 100. In 33 One Day International games, the batter scored 988 runs in total in 33 matches. 

ODI CAREER

The 2025 Delhi Premier League (DPL) final at Arun Jaitley Stadium not only provided a tense cricketing contest, but the overall spectacle was elevated by one significant moment. While fans enjoyed West Delhi Lions dominating Central Delhi Kings to win the trophy, perhaps the best moment on that day was former India opener Virender Sehwag enjoying a jovial bonding moment with his son Aryavir.

The social media platforms were inundated with various videos and pictures of Sehwag and Aryavir from early in the final. Sehwag, an absolute legend of the game, at times was shown chatting and laughing with Aryavir, bringing a human element to an otherwise intense atmosphere, and reminding fans, albeit briefly, of the emotional authenticity cricket can provide. Sehwag, who also happens to be the brand ambassador for DPL, looked visibly proud side-by-side with Aryavir.

ALSO SEE: 'Get rid of T20 player image...'- Star KKR player eyes Test debut ahead of India's home season against West Indies

Cricket, legacy, and emotions shine in the DPL 2025 final

Interestingly, Aryavir had played earlier in the tournament for Central Delhi Kings against East Delhi Riders, which was likely part of Sehwag's excitement that he experienced firsthand. Much like Sehwag, Aryavir batted with power, scoring 22 runs off 16 balls and featuring four nice boundaries while doing so. Although the Kings won that match easily by 62 runs, to the surprise of everyone, Aryavir was missing from the final XI in the match against West Delhi Lions.

Watch the video:

A reel full of love & legacy! ❤️🏏

Virender Sehwag | Delhi Premier League 2025 | DPL 2025 | #AdaniDPL2025 #DPL2025 #DPL #Cricket #Delhi pic.twitter.com/wrHBtY5ntq

— Delhi Premier League T20 (@DelhiPLT20) August 31, 2025

The final itself was a nail-biting contest. Central Delhi Kings, led by Yugal Saini's 65 and Pranshu Vijayran's unbeaten 50, set a decent target of 173 in 20 overs, but it was not enough against a determined West Delhi Lions team. Captain Nitish Rana, playing a captain's knock, scored 79 runs off only 49 balls, with Ritik Shaukeen's contribution of 42 off 27 balls meant that the Lions completed their chase in the 19th over. The Lions won by six wickets, with Rana winning the honours for Player of the Match with his brilliant innings.

In addition to the cricket meaning of the night, legendary Indian cricketers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were recognised by DDCA President Rohan Jaitley for their services to Indian cricket. This was met with huge applause from the crowd as two of the southbast's best cricketing sons were recognised together.

In the end, the DPL 2025 final was about much more than cricket. It was a night of legacy, it was poignant, and it was the passing of the baton from one generation to the next. While the West Delhi Lions took home the silverware, the moment of Sehwag sharing a bond with Aryavir, a childhood hero for Aryavir, will be held equally dear by cricketing fans as the result.

In the ongoing Delhi Premier League 2025, former India cricketer, Virender Sehwag’s son, Aaryavir Sehwag debuted for Central Delhi Kings. In his very first game of DPL, Aaryavir looked in good touch and scored 22 off 16 balls. He smashed four boundaries before falling for Rounak Waghela. Thanks to his innings, CDK scored 46 runs in the powerplay. Aaryavir opened the innings alongside Kaushal Suman and stitched a 25 run stand for the first wicket.

Aaryavir batter with a strike rate of 137.5 to mark his first outing in the DPL. On the back of Yugal Saini’s 52 off 32 and Jasvir Sehrawat’s 37 off 35, CDK went onto post 155 runs on the board losing six wicket in the process. When East Delhi Riders came out to bat, they were treated with some impeccable bowling performance by Money Grewal. Grewal picked fifer and EDR succumbed scoring just 93 runs as EDK won the game by 62 runs.

See Also: ‘Thinking what if they stamped on his foot….’- Coach revisits Virat Kohli’s influence on Delhi players during Ranji Trophy comeback

Watch Aaryavir’s batting here:

🚨 AARYAVIR SEHWAG DEBUT 🚨

- Virender Sehwag’s son Aaryavir Sehwag scored 22(16) on his Delhi Premier League Debut. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/IomoKPRv9Y

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 27, 2025

Central Delhi Kings Squad:

Yash Dhull, Kaushal Suman(w), Yugal Saini, Jonty Sidhu(c), Aditya Bhandari, Aryan Rana, Simarjeet Singh, Jasvir Sehrawat, Tejas Baroka, Money Grewal, Gavinsh Khurana, Arun Pundir, Yamit Sehrawat, Rishi Sharma, Harshit Sethi, Nikhil Malik, Sampooran Tripathi, Siddharth Joon, Aaryavir Sehwag, Vivek Kumar Tiwary, Aarnav Koul, Sumit Chhikara, Pranshu Vijayran

Virender Sehwag is one of the most dreaded opener on the cricket field. The former India opener, has been the lawnmower on the field whenever he opened the innings for the Indian team. He batted with the same intent and agile across formats which made him one of the few in his era who batted at a strike rate of above 100 in all phases of the game.

The veteran has now picked players for the particular shots. For the cover drive, he chose the legendary batter, Virat Kohli who made this as his trademark shot. Helicopter shot was invented by legendary captain, MS Dhoni and Sehwag gave away its rights to Dhoni. Straight drive was not played better than anyone else than Sachin Tendulkar. Sehwag chose Tendulkar for this shot.

Read More: “I regretted not using the DRS.”- Sachin Tendulkar advised against review, Rahul Dravid later regretted decision

Reverse sweep was provided to AB de Villiers and pull shot was handed over to Rohit Sharma. Sehwag chose the uppercut shot for himself and the forward defence was claimed by Rahul Dravid. He chose Kohli again for the flick shot and the hook shot was given away to legendary captain, Ricky Ponting.

VIRENDER SEHWAG PICKS PLAYERS FOR THESE SHOT WHO PLAYS BEST: (DPLT20).

Cover Drive - Kohli.
Helicopter - Dhoni.
Straight Drive - Sachin.
Reverse Sweep - ABD. 
Pull shot - Rohit.
Upper Cut - Sehwag.
Forward Defence - Dravid.
Hook shot - Ponting.
Flick shot - Kohli.

The former Indian opening batter Virender Sehwag’s older son, Aaryavir, was bought for a huge price of INR 8 lakh by Central Delhi Kings during the 2025 season of the Delhi Premier League (DPL). At the age of just 18, the batter is already a part of the under-19 side of the Delhi state team. 

Aaryavir picked his favorite player in a ‘This or That’ game on the sidelines of the DPL 2025. He was given the choice to choose between the Indian Test captain, Shubman Gill, and the T20I opener of the side, Abhishek Sharma, to which the youngster picked the former. Gill stayed ahead of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer, and Sanju Samson.

See Also: Shakib Al Hasan creates unique record in T20s during ongoing CPL 2025

Moreover, Gill was picked over the former Indian captain, MS Dhoni, who won the T20 World Cup 2007 in South Africa, the home ODI World Cup 2011, and later the Champions Trophy 2013 in England. Aaryavir picked the Punjab-born ahead of Rohit Sharma, who won the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the United States of America.

Watch: Virender Sehwag’s son picks Virat Kohli over Sachin Tendulkar in ‘This or That’ game

The 17-year-old later selected Virat Kohli over Gill and kept Kohli over the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. He addressed the Delhi batter as the greatest batter of the era and also expressed his long-time wish to feature with the veteran in the IPL in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by InsideSport Cricket (@insidesportcricket)

“If it were retired players, then Sachin Tendulkar, but I would go for Virat Kohli as he is my era's greatest batsman. My dream is to share the dressing room with Virat Kohli if I get an opportunity to play this soon in the IPL.” Aaryavir expressed to Inside Sport.

One of the notable performances of the batter is his 297 runs during the 2024-25 Cooch Behar Trophy, which was the highest individual score of that season. Against Manipur, he also impressed on his U-19 Vinoo Mankad Trophy debut in 2024 with 49 runs. His Central Deli Kings side has played eight games in DPL 2025 to win five and is second on the table.

The Indian squad for the Asia cup 2025 was announced on August 19. A 15 member squad was announced that had a mix of young talent and veterans. The likes of Shubman Gill, Harshit Rana and Rinku Singh made a come back into the squad. At the same time, there were apprehensions from the fans as many of the players missed out from the 15 member squad. The likes of Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out from the squad, and this followed a huge uproar on social media regarding their snub.

Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag has putforth his opinion on the squad. He has said that the new Indian squad has a mix of young talent and experience. He also showered praises on India captain Suryakumar Yadav. He added that Surya has a fearless mindset and has an attacking approach which will play a huge role in India winning the Asia 2025.

Read More: “I regretted not using the DRS.”- Sachin Tendulkar advised against review, Rahul Dravid later regretted decision

"This Indian team has the right mix of youth and experience, and under Surya's fearless leadership, they can dominate Asia once again. His attacking mindset suits the T20 format perfectly, and if the team plays with the same intent, I have no doubt India can lift the trophy," Sehwag said on Sony Sports Network.

India will play Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025

For the unversed, Asia cup will commence on September 9. India are placed in group alongside Pakistan, UAE and Oman. India will play Pakistan on September 14 at the Dubai Internation Stadium in Dubai. This fixture has drawn a lot of flak from the fans as they are calling Indian team to walk away from the game on the back of growing geopolitical tensions between the two countries.

India squad for Asia Cup: 

Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh

Former Indian player Virender Sehwag recently revealed that he had contemplated retiring from ODI cricket back in 2007-08. The batting legend recalled feeling disheartened after being left out of the Indian squad during a tri-nation series in Australia and Sri Lanka.

Sehwag revealed that getting dropped from the team led him to rethink continuing in ODI cricket. At that point, he felt disappointed and unsure whether he could continue contributing effectively to the team. The decision to step away from ODIs crossed his mind as he reflected on his career trajectory.

Despite the setback, Sehwag eventually chose to continue playing, going on to achieve tremendous success in ODIs for India. The aggressive opener’s ability to dominate bowlers and deliver match-winning performances cemented his legacy as one of India’s most feared limited-overs batsmen. His reflection highlights the challenges even top players face during their careers.

See Also: ‘Was Gurjapneet's injury replacement the best replacement in IPL history?’- Former Indian cricketer reacts to CSK star’s explosive display in AUS vs SA 2025 T20Is

Virender Sehwag Talked About His Contemplated Retirement:

Virender Sehwag shared that he discussed the idea of retiring from ODI cricket with Sachin Tendulkar. The legendary batsman advised him to take his time and avoid making a hasty decision driven by emotions.

Sehwag revealed. “ In the 2007-08 series against Australia, I played the first three matches and then MS Dhoni dropped me from the side. I wasn't picked for a while after that. Then I felt that if I can't be a part of the playing XI, then there was no point in my playing ODI cricket.”

Following Tendulkar’s guidance, Sehwag chose to continue in the 50-over format. This decision proved fruitful, as he went on to be part of India’s victorious squad in the 2011 World Cup held in the subcontinent. The 46-year-old shared these insights during a discussion with sports commentator Padamjeet Sehrawat on his YouTube channel, reflecting on the pivotal moment in his career.

He further said, “ Then I went to Tendulkar and said, 'I am thinking of retiring from ODIs'. He said, 'No, I went through a similar phase in 1999-2000, where I felt I should leave cricket. But that phase came and went. So, you are going through a trough, but it will pass. Don't make any decision when you are emotional. Give yourself some time and 1-2 series, and then take a call.' When that series ended, I played in the next series and made a lot of runs. I played the 2011 World Cup and we won the World Cup as well.”

Sehwag featured in five games during the tri-nation series in Australia but struggled with the bat, scoring just 81 runs. Following his underwhelming performance, Robin Uthappa was selected to open alongside Sachin Tendulkar instead, replacing Sehwag at the top of the order.

Virender Sehwag Talked About His Son:

Aryaveer Sehwag secured selection for Delhi’s Under-16 squad to compete in the Vijay Merchant Trophy in December 2023. Speaking on his son’s cricketing journey, Sehwag emphasized that he advised Aryaveer not to feel burdened by his famous surname and to focus on enjoying the game and developing his own skills without the pressure of expectations tied to being Virender Sehwag’s son.

He said, “ Aryaveer will surely have the pressure on him, but I have been teaching him from when he was young that your father's name would be told to you all the time. That you are Virender Sehwag's son, that you play like he did, that you don't play like he did. That pressure will always be on you, but you should not take that pressure.”

He added, “ Pressure is something that you give, not take. I have told him he can play the way he wants if he is interested and if he wants to become a cricketer. Things are going well for now. Hope he goes on to play either for India or the Ranji Trophy. He's working hard. He's only 15 and he'll learn a lot in future.”

In July 2025, Aryaveer Sehwag was bought by South Delhi Superstarz for ₹1 lakh at the Delhi Premier League auction. The young batter’s selection highlights his growing reputation in domestic cricket, giving him a platform to showcase his talent and continue building his career in competitive T20 cricket. This opportunity allows Aryaveer to gain valuable experience while making a mark in the league.

Rohit Sharma and Virender Sehwag are the two of the most impactful top-order batters in India's ODI history. Both had an aggressive instinct within them and used to put the bowlers under pressure from the very first ball. While their batting methods were varied and although they also had different batting styles and personalities at the crease, both were eventually hugely successful. The two played through different periods of Indian cricket, but both were key figures, because they had an ability to dominate opposition bowling attacks and are memorable figures in India's large cricket history.

Sehwag came into the one day fold in 1999 when Indian cricket was defined by players like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid, all of whom had already established themselves in the ODI format. Sehwag came into a very established ODI grou, but Sehwag did not care and established his identity through the bat and limitless belief. Rohit Sharma on the other hand started his ODI career in 2007 when all of those players were windng their careers down. Rohit was part of transition phase with several other young players vying for places in the national team.

See Also: From the archive: Full scorecard of Virat Kohli's last domestic List A match

While both played an attacking style, their approaches were nuanced. Sehwag came to attack from first ball, attacking right from the incorporation of their plans, buzzing through the duration of the powerplay whilst also taking advantage of the fielding restrictions in the first 10 overs. This style made him a terror for bowlers at the commencement of their spell. Rohit preferred to get his eye in and start more elongative, weighing up the condition of the pitch, and how to modulate his gears (speed, once he felt comfortable). Probably the most dangerous batter in ODIs when he was settled was his ability to destroy attacks with precision and timing.

Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma have lead India's aggressive batting evolution in ODIs

Their signature shots were also an extension of their individual strengths. Sehwag's square cut was played with the same cavalier ease, consistently puncturing boundaries. His flick through midwicket was effortlessly dynamic, while comfortably picking up and capitalising on width, and anything loose drifting onto his pads. Rohit Sharma's pull shot against express pace is considered one of the best pull shots in world cricket, whereas as an attacking option, also likes to position himself and use proper footwork when playing the inside-out lofted drive over cover. And has subsequently developed an even sharper skill set as his has grown older. 

Ultimately, both players represented the aggressive batting evolution of India in ODIs, albeit in distinctive ways. Sehwag's unrelenting intent enforced many memorable Indian victories from the very beginning of his innings, and Rohit was equally impressive, with advanced aggression as well as converting starts into match-winning mammoth scores. Both players entertained, but most importantly, they contributed to changing the perception of what an opener can deliver in limited overs cricket, and paved the way for a new generation of bold stroke players to hopefully represent India also.

Stat comparision of Rohit Sharma and Virender Sehwag

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has recently mentioned that Yashasvi Jaiswal is as good as Virender Sehwag and that both of them have changed the energy of the Indian dressing room in Test cricket. While talking with ESPNcricinfo, Bangar recounted how Sehwag’s aggressive starts would energize the team and said that with Jaiswal’s attacking approach, he gets a similar flame.

Jaiswal played a key role in India’s second innings on the third day of the last Test against England at The Oval, where he made 118 off 164 balls with 14 fours and two sixes. His knock helped India post a total of 396 in just 88 overs and set the tone for the rest of the match. The left-handed batsman had now scored two centuries in the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, giving himself a solid base at the top.

Bangar said, "I remember when Virender Sehwag used to give those starts; things looked different in the dressing room. The entire energy of the dressing room changed. It’s not only the impact that he has for himself, but also makes the job easier for the batsmen to follow. That’s the value of the contribution that he gives at the start when he bats aggressively."

Jaiswal's maturity and record-breaking knock earn praise

The former coach also applauded Jaiswal’s maturity during his partnership with nightwatchman Akash Deep, who scored a surprising 66. Bangar acknowledged how Jaiswal showed restraint and played with control to guide the lower-order batter.

See Also: AB de Villiers includes two former RCB captains in his all-time IPL XI during WCL 2025

"When he bats in a slightly controlled manner, you could also see that he can bring the best out of a lower-order batter, which he did with Akash Deep," he added. Jaiswal’s ton at The Oval was also notable historically, as it stands as India’s 12th individual century in the series—equaling the all-time record for the most hundreds by a team in a Test series. The only other teams to achieve this were Australia (1955), Pakistan (1982–83), and South Africa (2003–04).

Former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has praised opener Yashasvi Jaiswal during the ongoing fifth Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at the Kennington Oval in London.

On Saturday, August 2, the 61-year-old shared a video on his YouTube channel, @NavjotSidhuOfficial, where he praised Jaiswal’s batting and said that the young opener is starting to have an impact similar to former great Virender Sehwag.

In the final Test at the Oval, both India and England had a disappointing end to their innings. The Indian batting collapsed on Day 1 and could score only 224 runs in the first innings, losing the last four wickets quickly. England’s openers gave a strong start, but their team was bowled out for 247. In the second innings, the Indian batters again struggled, but Yashasvi Jaiswal played aggressively and kept hitting boundaries regularly.

Also Read -[WATCH]: Yashasvi Jaiswal’s upper cut backfires as Josh Tongue gets his second wicket in ongoing ENG vs IND 5th Test

Sidhu Compares Jaiswal’s Impact to Virender Sehwag

The 61-year-old shared a video on his YouTube channel, mentioning Yashasvi Jaiswal, where he praised the youngster’s brilliant strokeplay and called him an opener with shades of batting great Virender Sehwag’s intent.

“The way he (Jaiswal) played those cuts, the cover drive, and especially that stroke between mid-on and midwicket shows how quickly he gets into position. He has so much time. I can say that after Sunil Gavaskar, if any opener has come close to the impact of Virender Sehwag, it is Yashasvi Jaiswal. He has scored double hundreds and hundreds at a pace that gives bowlers no time to settle, while putting his team in a winning position,” Sidhu said.

He further added, “If I had to rate him, his average was around 52 before this series, and now it will be close to 49 or 50. When your average stays near or above 50 even after playing 20 to 30 Test matches, you are considered a great player.”

Sidhu also praised Jaiswal’s fifty on Day 2 of the ongoing Test against England, highlighting the importance of the knock in tough conditions.

“Yashasvi Jaiswal’s fifty today was priceless. In these conditions, there could not have been a better innings. Some might say that he got a life because a catch was dropped, but if you look at how that catch was dropped, you’ll understand. It was such a powerful slash, and the ball that went toward Brook was traveling at great speed. The pull shot he played toward square leg was brilliant. His special quality is the back-and-across movement, which gives him extra time. Then he plays with complete flow, fully aware that he could get out anytime in such conditions,” Sidhu explained.