Virender Sehwag, a legendary figure in Indian cricket, has surprisingly never taken up the role of coaching an international team. After retiring from international cricket in 2015, the former Indian opener transitioned to roles in coaching and commentary. Sehwag, who played for Punjab Kings (PBKS) during the IPL seasons of 2014 and 2015, joined their coaching staff as a mentor in 2016. He later assumed the position of Director of Cricket for PBKS, a role he held until the 2018 IPL season. .
In 2017, Sehwag made headlines by applying for the position of Team India’s head coach. However, the Cricket Advisory Committee chose Ravi Shastri over him, and since then, Sehwag has not pursued the role of India’s head coach. When asked if he would ever consider coaching Team India, Sehwag expressed his preference for coaching in the IPL rather than the national team. Sehwag explained that the demanding schedule associated with being the head coach of the Indian cricket team is not appealing to him at this stage of his life.
“I might consider coaching an IPL team, but not the Indian team,” Sehwag stated. “Becoming the coach of the Indian team would mean going back to the same routine I had during my playing days, where I was away from home for around eight months a year. Right now, my children are 14 and 16, and they need my presence. Both are involved in cricket, and the other is an opening batsman.
Sehwag emphasized the challenge of balancing the rigorous demands of coaching the national team with his family commitments. He noted, “If I became the coach of the Indian team, it would be a significant challenge for me to be away from my kids for such long periods. However, if an opportunity to coach or mentor an IPL team comes up, I would definitely consider it.”
Since his tenure with PBKS ended in 2018, Sehwag has remained distanced from coaching roles. During his time with PBKS, the team struggled to make a mark and failed to progress to the playoff stages. Notably, PBKS has not reached the IPL playoffs since 2014 and has only advanced past the league stage twice in the tournament’s 17-year history. Despite these challenges, Sehwag’s potential return to an IPL coaching role remains a topic of interest for many cricket fans and franchises.