DDCA gets Viru’s statistics wrong on felicitation day
NEWDELHI: The Delhi and District Cricket Association inaugurated the Virender Sehwag Gate at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Tuesday but the occasion was tarnished because the DDCA got the cricket legend’s Test statistics wrong.
The first T20I between India versus New Zealand will be played at Ferozeshah Kotla on Wednesday.
Amid all the euphoria, the DDCA failed to proof-read Sehwag’s Test statistics displayed on a metal plate embedded on the iron gate. The plate said Virender Sehwag is the ‘Only Indian to score a Triple Century in Tests’. DDCA forgot that Karnataka batsman Karun Nair had scored an unbeaten 303 against England in the Chennai Test in December last year.
Typical of the DDCA, no one took responsibility for the faux pas.
When Hindustan Times contacted the state association for clarification, nobody was ready to speak on the matter.
Normally quick to react on flaws, Sehwag was quite gracious, choosing not to blow up the blunder.
The former Test batsman said “it’s an honour to have a gate named after him at the Kotla,” the ground where he started his cricketing journey.
“I remember when I started
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Any young cricketer will get motivated reading the name. Virender Sehwag played here as a kid and when he left, there is a gate named after him. SEHWAG, After the inauguration of the gate named after him
off, I used to daily cross this gate and now it has my name. There will be many more cricketers from this state who will have stands, gates, pavilions named after them but I am glad that I am the first one.
“I feel very fortunate and would like to thank the DDCA for this honour,” Sehwag said.
Sehwag said the gate should inspire young cricketers.
“Any young cricketer will get motivated reading the name. Virender Sehwag played here as a kid and when he left there is a gate named after him ... so if I can also play for Under-19, Under-16, Under-23 or Ranji for Delhi and then represent India, then a gate, stand or something will be after my name,” the Nawab of Najafgarh added.
To a question on what set Delhi cricket apart from the rest of the country, Sehwag said, “In Delhi a lot of one-day cricket is played in clubs.
And by the time these players play Ranji Trophy, they become tough mentally and they don’t find it difficult to get used to the grind.”