10 Virender Sehwag quotes that give a peek into his batting mindset

Former Indian cricketer and now commentator Virender Sehwag turned 38 on Thursday. The Delhi-dasher, known to his fans as Viru, has always been a source of sheer entertainment for cricket lovers, on the field and off it as well.

Sehwag's  belief in playing on the front foot while batting has transcended seamlessly into his post-retirement life as well. These days, if there is one Indian cricketer that fans want to listen to, it is Virender Sehwag.

The Nawab of Najafgarh has become a superstar on the internet off-late with his witty remarks on anything and everything. From hilarious birthday wishes to his former teammates, to regularly trolling Piers Morgan and the likes, there is no stopping Viru.

Sehwag's gift of the gab was apparent right through his career. Here's a list of ten of the most popular quotes by him, that give a peek into the mindset of arguably India's most deadliest batsman ever:

1. After scoring 284 in a single day against Sri Lanka in Mumbai - “In the dressing room they told me I was hitting the good balls too, but if you look at it my way, I hit only the bad ones.”

2. Explaining his approach to a Test innings - “I have made it very simple for myself. There are 90 overs to be played in a day. If I am able to hit a boundary in 80 of these I can get to a triple hundred by the end of the day’s play and set a match up for my team.”

3. Trying to find 'The Zone' - “I have asked Sachin Tendulkar many times what 'the zone' is. He tells me that’s when ‘I see nothing except the ball’. I have asked Rahul Dravid the same thing. He says sometimes when he is in really good form, he sees the ball and not even the sight-screen, the non-striker, the umpire or who is bowling. I ask how that is possible. I have never entered that zone.”

4. You'd surely want to get him out early - “I don’t want to sound pompous. But I can surely tell you that once I get to 60 or 70 there’s no bowler in the world who can get Virender Sehwag out. Only Virender Sehwag can get Sehwag out at moments when I am batting the way I am currently. My philosophy has always been to make the most of the situation when you are in form. So when I go out there, I identify a bowler and get after him. If he is the best bowler in the opposition, your job becomes much easier.”

5. Can't understand the point of a night-watchman - “What is the difference between batting at the end of the day or at the start? If you make a mistake you’ll get out. Whenever a captain or coach asked me for a night-watchman I would say, ‘No, why? If I can’t survive 10 or 20 balls now, then I don’t think I’ll survive tomorrow morning.’ I believe that’s the best time when you have the opportunity to score runs, when everybody on the field is tired and you can score 20 runs off those 20 balls.”

6. His take on life - “It doesn’t matter if you have one billion rupees in your bank account or one rupee. This is one life you get, and you’d rather spend it enjoying whatever you have, rather than thinking, 'Oh, I should have scored seven more runs, or I should get more money."

7. Fielders? What's that? - “Once Gary Kirsten asked me, ‘What would you do if there is a long-off, long-on and deep midwicket?’ I asked, ‘Gary sir, do fielders matter to me?’ He burst out laughing. Let me give an example: I was batting on 291 at Chepauk, against South Africa. I told Paul Harris, ‘Come round the wicket and first ball I’ll hit you for a six.’ He accepted my challenge and the very first ball I hit him for a straight six, and there was a long-off, long-on, deep midwicket and a deep point. I was so tired and he was bowling on the pads and I was getting bored. So rather than spending 10-15 minutes to get to the triple-century I gave him good advice.”

8. Strong believer in saving time - “Sachin Tendulkar always likes to chat and can get serious and caution you not to hit unnecessary shots. During that (Multan) innings he told me, ‘If you try to hit a six I will hit you on the bum.’ He gave me a simple example – about my Melbourne innings in 2003, when I tried to hit a six on 195 and got out. Till then India were in a good position, but after that we couldn’t make a big score and we lost the Test. So he made me realise my mistake. That is why I didn’t hit sixes in Multan, but when I was near 300 I told him that I was going to hit Saqlain (Mushtaq) and he could hit me on my bum!”

9. Post-retirement letter to his peers and coaches - "I want to thank everyone for all the cricketing advice given to me over the years and I apologise for not accepting most of it! I had a reason for not following it; I did it my way!"

10. His response to the team's security, after they warned him and opening partner Gautam Gambhir not to venture out at night during a tour to South Africa - "No, there is no danger. We are the most dangerous batsmen in the world."