As for my batting, the best part about it is I have never changed it. I have never changed my thinking, I have never changed my batting style.
Virender Sehwag
When I play a cover-drive, I play it to score runs.
The most important thing for any athlete is to know his ability. If you know your ability and have even a little bit of a strong mindset, you can get success, because your ability takes you to success.
I was a middle-order batsman who was too good against spin and hit sixes consistently in Under-19 and Ranji cricket, and I still have the same confidence.
When I took up cricket seriously, I wanted to play for India. When my dream was achieved, I thought what next? Then a fellow cricketer told me, 'Playing for India is easy; playing for 10-15 years is difficult.' Then I changed my dream to play 100 Test matches. I achieved that as well. Now there is nothing to achieve, so I am just enjoying things.
Whenever senior players are missing, its ideal for youngsters to avail of these opportunities.
Coach should be a friend, not a coach. And at international level, all you need is a friend who can motivate you. Technique doesn't matter.
During the peak of my career, I used to pick the ball as soon it was released from the bowler's hands. And I hit the ball through the line.
I used to prepare in advance on how the bowler is going to bowl, whether is he going to bowl an outswinger or an inswinger? I used to watch the videos of the bowler and used to prepare in advance.
Someone enjoys your batting, and someone, your humour. Since I'm not batting any longer, I can at least say some words, so people enjoy and give me compliments, too.
There is no point playing in the IPL when I have retired from international cricket. I did not want a youngster to miss out because of me.
My father was a farmer, and we have had some farming land in Haryana. Maybe I would have followed his footsteps and become a farmer.
My style is my strength. It is my natural game. That is how I grew up and scored most of my runs.
If you know your game, you can handle pressure; you can handle any kind of situation, back yourself, and play your own game and get success.
I think if you think so much, you simply cannot bat.
I lose around a couple of crores every year on the school, but even if I was to make profit from it, I would never use it for myself. I'd plough every penny back into improving facilities for the school. Just as I do with the cricket academies I run around the country. These are not for making money; for that, I have other avenues.
I have matured in my shot selection but will not discard my style. I don't believe in wasting balls.
I would never want a guy who is not a natural keeper.
Fitness has nothing to do with age.
We don't need to run 5-6 kms, even in a Test match.
To say that the captain makes the team lose or win is not correct.
No Indian wants their sports persons to get left behind or any particular sports to get left behind.
I don't care whether I am politically correct or not when I tweet.
I am the superstitious kind: I never praise a shot because I fear the moment I do so, the batsman gets out.
Sledging is an important part of the game, but you should never cross the line.
There has been the negative impact of spot-fixing and match-fixing, but it is the individual player's responsibility to look after that because if a player wants to do that, it is difficult to stop him. It is the individual player's responsibility to play fairly.
I was scared of facing only one bowler - that was Muttiah Muralitharan.
I believe in wishing my colleagues and other celebs in a manner that brings my wit out and gives people a talking point. But there are people who love and those who hate you. That's part of a celeb's life.
One should always be happy, irrespective of what you achieve in a match or in life. That's how I live my life.
Experience always enables you to handle pressure better.
When I was a kid, my first dream was to play Test matches, and the second one was to play 100 Test matches because there are very few people who have played 100 Tests for India.
If a player is playing IPL and earning money, it's not his fault that he's not playing for India. He is not quitting. He is playing first-class, one-day cricket and IPL. If selectors don't pick him, what can he do?
When I began my life journey, we'd survive on Rs 500 a month as a family. As time passed and I started playing for the country, this Rs 500 multiplied manifold, but it was not the money that mattered: it was the fact that I was fulfilling my ambition of playing cricket on the highest platform, representing my country.
If a player fails to perform in four or five consecutive matches, he should be dropped irrespective of whether he is a senior or a junior player.
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.
When I was growing up, I played a lot of ten- and 12-over games, and I would bat in the middle order. I got only ten-odd balls to face, and I tried to score as much as I could. I applied the same approach in domestic and international cricket, and people were appreciating my strike rate being more than 80 or 90 in Test cricket.
If any IPL team wants me to be a mentor or a batting consultant, I would love to do that. I can share my knowledge with the youngsters.
When a person becomes satisfied, he doesn't run after things, doesn't worry about it, and doesn't make efforts.
Many stories come from the dressing room that one doesn't speak when you are playing but can do once retired.
Sometimes, you just need to get out of the game and should do things which you want to do in life and like.
There were a lot of players who gave me suggestions when I was young. At times, they were very good suggestions, and I took them seriously, applied them to my batting, and got success after that.
A sort of sadness shall always remain in my mind that I was not allowed to retire while playing, but anyway, it's all a part of life for a sportsman who, while playing, never realises when he should retire, but he starts thinking about it when he is dropped.
I have never hidden my injury before, or fitness problems. Even my shoulder operation was planned after consulting the then coach Gary Kirsten and skipper MS Dhoni.
April 2nd is a memorable moment of my cricketing career.
Because I knew I had got success at Ranji level, I was confident I would get some success in international cricket too.
In my view, if you have good or bad technique, it doesn't matter. But you will survive if you can adjust your game at international level, you are mentally strong, you know your strengths and how to score runs.
When you start the game, coaches will tell you to do stuff in a particular way, and kids do that. But the moment you start first-class cricket, the coach needs to tell you, 'Try this, try that,' instead of, 'Do this, do that.' If you feel comfortable, you can take it; otherwise, leave it.
There are very rare occasions when you get a good wicket to bat on, but whatever wicket you get, you have to play at least 20 overs for your side.
I try to hit the ball along the ground, especially against fast bowlers. I also like the bat to come down in the right position and check if my body position is correct. If I'm really watching the ball carefully, then automatically I'm in a good position to hit it down the ground.
To participate in a World Cup is a great honour and achievement. I've played in three World Cups. The whole world watches you during a World Cup and expects you to play innings to win games for your country.
