Virender Sehwag reveals Shoaib Akhtar's sledging on his 1999 debut
Synopsis
Virender Sehwag has revealed that Shoaib Akhtar greeted him with expletives as he walked to the crease on debut in 1999 — and that the sledging motivated him to score 309 runs against Pakistan. The disclosure came on Prime Video's 'Rise and Fall', where Sehwag used the anecdote to confront two contestants over threatening language, drawing a sharp line between performance and provocation.
Key Takeaways
Virender Sehwag revealed that Shoaib Akhtar verbally abused him as he walked to the crease on his international debut in 1999 .
Sehwag was 20 years old at the time and chose to respond not with words but by scoring 309 runs against Pakistan in a later match.
The anecdote was shared on the latest episode of Rise and Fall Season 2, streaming on Prime Video and produced by Banijay Asia .
Sehwag used the story to confront contestants Gautam Gulati and Manish Kashyap over an escalating feud involving threatening language.
He also opened up about growing up in Najafgarh , Delhi , an area historically associated with gang violence, noting he never used his background as a prop or a threat.
Former India opener Virender Sehwag has revealed that pace legend Shoaib Akhtar hurled expletives at him as he walked to the crease during his very first international match in 1999, and how that provocation became the fuel for one of cricket's most storied rivalries. Sehwag made the disclosure on the latest episode of Rise and Fall, the reality show he hosts on Prime Video.
The Sledging Incident at the Crease
Recounting the moment in Hindi, Sehwag said: '1999 mein pehle match khel raha tha, mein 20 saal ka ladka tha aur ground mein jab maine kadam rakha toh Shoaib Akhtar mujhe gaali deta hua leke gaya crease tak cchod ke aaya' — meaning that as a 20-year-old on debut, Akhtar escorted him to the crease with a volley of abuse rather than a customary welcome. Rather than being rattled, Sehwag decided to absorb the provocation silently and respond with his bat.
'Lekin mujhe yeh laga ke agar mein dobaara Pakistan ke khilaf khela toh mein inki aisi pitai karunga ke mujhe gaali nahi dene paade, toh maine 309 run banaye, toh mere balle ne saari talking ki,' he added — a declaration that if he faced Pakistan again, he would bat so dominantly that Akhtar would have no cause to sledge him. He went on to score 309 runs against Pakistan in what became one of the highest individual scores in Test history.
The Lesson Sehwag Drew for Reality-Show Contestants
Sehwag invoked the anecdote not for nostalgia but as a live intervention. On the show, fellow contestants Gautam Gulati and Manish Kashyap were locked in an escalating verbal feud during a 'Power Play' segment. Sehwag stepped in to question the nature of the threats being exchanged, specifically asking Manish what had driven him to use the phrase 'goli chal jaayegi' (bullets will fly).
The former cricketer's message was clear: real strength lies in letting performance speak, not in threatening language. He drew a pointed contrast between genuine toughness and performative aggression.
Sehwag on Growing Up in Najafgarh
To reinforce his point, Sehwag opened up about his own origins in Najafgarh, a small town on the outskirts of Delhi. He said: 'Najafgarh mein lakhbag 100 gaon hai jinke 100 gaon mein 50 gaon mein sirf gangsters hain' — noting that roughly half the villages in the area were routinely associated with gang violence in newspaper headlines. Despite growing up in that environment, he said he never once used his background as an excuse or invoked it as a threat in his cricketing career.
Notably, this candid admission underlined his broader philosophy: circumstances do not define conduct. Sehwag used his upbringing as evidence that anyone can choose restraint over retaliation, regardless of where they come from.
About Rise and Fall Season 2
Produced by Banijay Asia, Rise and Fall Season 2 streams on Prime Video. The show places Sehwag in the role of a mentor-host, a format that has evidently given him space to draw on personal cricket lore to counsel contestants navigating interpersonal conflicts. With the show now gaining renewed attention for moments like this one, the upcoming episodes will be closely watched to see how the Gulati–Kashyap feud resolves.
Point of View
And fewer still have done so to make a point about choice over circumstance. The reality-show format, often derided as manufactured conflict, has inadvertently created space for a genuinely substantive conversation about provocation, restraint, and identity. Whether that resonates beyond the episode's viral clip cycle is the real question.
NationPress
28 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Shoaib Akhtar say to Virender Sehwag on his debut in 1999?
According to Sehwag, Akhtar escorted him to the crease while hurling expletives at him during his first international match in 1999, when Sehwag was just 20 years old. Sehwag chose not to retaliate verbally, deciding instead to respond through his batting.
How did Sehwag respond to Shoaib Akhtar's sledging?
Sehwag channelled the provocation into his game and later scored 309 runs against Pakistan, famously letting his bat 'do all the talking'. He has cited that innings as his definitive answer to Akhtar's aggression on debut.
Why did Sehwag share this story on Rise and Fall?
Sehwag invoked the Akhtar anecdote to counsel contestants Gautam Gulati and Manish Kashyap, whose escalating feud included threatening language during a Power Play segment. He used his own experience to argue that performance, not provocation, is the mark of real strength.
What did Sehwag reveal about growing up in Najafgarh?
Sehwag disclosed that Najafgarh, his hometown on the outskirts of Delhi, has roughly 50 villages historically associated with gang violence and frequent crime headlines. He said he never once invoked this background as a justification for aggression throughout his entire career.
Where can viewers watch Rise and Fall Season 2?
Rise and Fall Season 2, hosted by Virender Sehwag and produced by Banijay Asia, is available to stream on Prime Video.
