Sehwag says son Aryavir prefers coaches' advice to his
Former India opener Virender Sehwag said he talks to son Aryavir about mindset rather than technique, telling News18 in an exclusive interview that everyone has the same skills. He added that his son prefers advice from his coach, trainer and physio, remarking that his own counsel is undervalued at home. Aryavir, 18, recently played for India Under-19 against Australia in a Youth ODI series. Sehwag will host the show Rise and Fall. He retired from international cricket on October 20, 2015.
Source
News18 — Sports · read the original report ↗
Desk check · compared with the source
What the desk checked (5)
- Sehwag says he discusses mindset rather than technique with son Aryavir. — Direct quote attributed to Sehwag in News18 exclusive interview.
- Aryavir Sehwag, 18, recently represented India Under-19 against Australia in a Youth ODI series. — Stated in source as fact; no match details or governing-body source given.
- Sehwag will host the show 'Rise and Fall'. — Attributed to Sehwag in the interview; no broadcaster confirmation cited.
- Sehwag retired from all international cricket on October 20, 2015, his 37th birthday, ending a career spanning 1999-2015. — Dates and figures appear in the source; presented as background without attribution.
- Sehwag named Ashish Nehra as most likely to reveal a secret, and Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh as pranksters. — Light-hearted responses during a game in the same interview; opinion, not verifiable.
Analysts’ view opinion
Behind the humour in Sehwag's line sits a serious coaching principle: at a level where everyone has broadly the same skills, mindset is the separator. His choice to talk about how to start an innings rather than technique is pure opening-batsman wisdom, drawn from a career built on intent in the first few overs. The 'my word carries no weight at home' remark also captures a real feature of the modern academy setup, where a young player is surrounded by coach, trainer and physio voices.
- At Under-19 level, decision-making and handling pressure separate players more than raw technique — which is precisely the 'mindset' Sehwag is pointing to.
- Representing India Under-19 against Australia in a Youth ODI series is meaningful exposure for Aryavir, but it is a step in a long selection pathway, not a guarantee.
- The advice on 'how to start' goes to the core problem of opening batting: negotiating the new ball with clarity of method.
- Ten people will offer advice; learning to filter it is arguably the most underrated skill for a teenager inside today's support-staff-heavy system.
- Sehwag's move into hosting and commentary reflects how his post-2015 career has shifted into roles beyond playing.
What to watch — Watch how Aryavir performs in domestic and age-group tournaments and whether he holds his place in the Under-19 setup.
The story establishes nothing about Aryavir's actual returns, batting position or future selection prospects — it is Sehwag's personal reflection on a father-son dynamic.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 4 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
Virender Sehwag, one of India's most celebrated opening batsmen, played international cricket from 1999 to 2015. His 18-year-old son Aryavir Sehwag has recently entered competitive cricket, representing India Under-19 against Australia in a Youth ODI series. In an exclusive interview with News18, Sehwag spoke about the kind of advice he gives his son, his new television hosting assignment, and light-hearted memories of former teammates.
Key facts
- Virender Sehwag said he does not talk much about his son's technique and focuses instead on mindset, saying "everyone has the same skills".
- Aryavir Sehwag, 18, recently represented India Under-19 against Australia in a Youth ODI series.
- Sehwag described himself as "ghar ki murgi daal barabar", saying Aryavir cites his coach, trainer and physio instead.
- Sehwag told his son that while 10 people will give advice, he must know which advice is right for him.
- Sehwag is entering the hosting field and will host the show Rise and Fall; his children advised him against it, citing fights and arguments.
- In a fun game, Sehwag named Ashish Nehra as the player most likely to reveal someone's secret.
- He named Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra as contemporaries he could easily form an alliance with in a reality show.
- Sehwag retired from all forms of international cricket on October 20, 2015, his 37th birthday, ending a career that ran from 1999 to 2015.
Timeline
- 1999Virender Sehwag's international cricket career begins.
- October 20, 2015Sehwag retires from all forms of international cricket on his 37th birthday.
- Recently (date not stated in the source)Aryavir Sehwag, 18, represents India Under-19 against Australia in a Youth ODI series.
- September 25, 2026News18 publishes the exclusive interview in which Sehwag discusses advising his son and his hosting role.
Who has a stake
- Virender Sehwag — Former India opener balancing a father's advice with a professional support staff's role; also moving into TV hosting with Rise and Fall.
- Aryavir Sehwag — The 18-year-old must filter multiple sources of advice while making his mark in India Under-19 cricket.
- Coaches, trainers and physios in youth cricket — Their guidance is what young players increasingly rely on, as Sehwag's account illustrates.
- India Under-19 team — Development pathway in which Aryavir featured against Australia in the Youth ODI series.
- News18 — Platform that carried the exclusive interview.
Why it matters
The interview offers a rare window into how elite sporting families handle the transition from parent to mentor, and how much weight professional support staff now carry in a young cricketer's development. Sehwag's point that mindset, not technique, separates players who share the same skills speaks to the mental side of high-performance sport. It also highlights the pressure carried by children of famous athletes entering the same arena.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- Virender Sehwag retired from all forms of international cricket on October 20, 2015, his 37th birthday.
- Sehwag's international career spanned 1999 to 2015.
- Aryavir Sehwag, 18, played for India Under-19 against Australia in a Youth ODI series.
- Sehwag will host the television show Rise and Fall.
- Sehwag named Ashish Nehra, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh among his contemporaries in the interview's fun segment.
- The interview was an exclusive with News18, first published September 25, 2026.
Mains framing
Sehwag's remarks illustrate a wider shift in Indian sport: the professionalisation of athlete support, where coaches, trainers and physios have become the primary voices in a young player's ear, sometimes displacing even a parent who was himself an international cricketer. His emphasis on mindset over technique — \"everyone has the same skills\" — points to the mental conditioning gap as the real differentiator at elite level, an area in which structured support is still uneven at the age-group stage. The counter-risk he identifies is advice overload: with ten people offering counsel, the player's own judgement about what applies to him becomes a skill in itself. The way forward suggested by the story is not institutional but practical: age-group systems that build decision-making and mental resilience alongside technical drills, and clarity of roles so that family support complements rather than competes with professional coaching. The story also touches on the scrutiny faced by second-generation athletes, whose performances are measured against a famous parent's record from the moment they enter the pathway.
Key terms
- Youth ODI
- One-day international format played by Under-19 national teams; Aryavir Sehwag featured for India U-19 against Australia.
- India Under-19
- India's age-group national cricket team, a key step in the pathway to senior selection.
- Ghar ki murgi daal barabar
- Hindi idiom meaning something available at home is undervalued; Sehwag used it for his own advice to his son.
- Rise and Fall
- The television show Virender Sehwag is set to host, marking his move into the hosting field.
- Physio (physiotherapist)
- Support-staff specialist handling injury prevention and recovery; one of the voices Aryavir cites, per Sehwag.
Practice questions
- Discuss the role of mental conditioning versus technical training in the development of elite cricketers, using examples from India's age-group system.
- How has the professionalisation of support staff — coaches, trainers, physiotherapists — changed athlete development in Indian sport?
- Examine the particular pressures faced by second-generation athletes in India and how sporting institutions can manage them.
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.