First Appearance

In the 1997–98 season, Sehwag put his first step in the cricket world and played for the Delhi cricket team. The next 1998 –1999 season, he was chosen to play cricket for the North Zone team for Duleep Trophy, finishing seventh in the list of total runs scored. He was fourth on the Duleep Trophy run-scoring with 274, which was the highest score in the competition. This was accomplished in just 327 balls against South Zone in Agartala and came after a quick 187 from just 175 in a Ranji Trophy match against Punjab. Later, he was chosen for the U-19 team, which toured South Africa.

In mid-2001, he became a regular member of the national team when selectors recognized his talent after he scored two centuries in the 2000-01 season.

Since the beginning of his international career, he has continued to represent Delhi in domestic play when he was not on international duty, and he led North Zone to Deodhar Trophy victories in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Ascend to Glory

The best minds in the game were absolutely baffled by his Test record. Due to his aggressive and unconventional style at the crease, Sehwag was type-cast as a limited-overs player. However, Sourav Ganguly may have seen something that no one else did, as Sehwag and Sanjay Bangar were forced into the opening position on the 2002 tour to England.

On a seaming green top at Nottingham with the homeowners on his tail, Sehwag used his straightforward, compact style to give himself enough time for the ball to get on to him, and with a brilliant 105 in the first innings by eliminating all new-ball troubles.

Sehwag, who was thrust into the top order, proceeded to redefine the opener's role at the Test level while enjoying a stellar run of form.

Following a hundred against the West Indies at home, Sehwag took the Boxing Day Test of 2003 by storm at the Melbourne Cricket Ground with an attacking hundred. Sehwag fell just five runs short of his first double-hundred in Tests while attempting to clear the mid-wicket boundary in order to get there. However, such was the man's daring that a few months later, on 297* against Pakistan in Multan, Sehwag lifted Saqlain Mushtaq for six, becoming India's first-ever triple-centurion in Test cricket.

Low Point

Sehwag became embroiled in controversy during the Second Test match between South Africa and India in November 2001 when ICC Match Referee Mike Denness handed out a one-Test suspension for "excessive appealing." Six Indian players were given suspensions, four of which were suspended, including him.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) issued a warning that until Sehwag served his one-match suspension, no match featuring Sehwag on the cricket team would be regarded as an "official" Test match. Sehwag was removed from the lineup for the first Test against England following discussions with the ECB and ICC and in the best interests of cricket in general. It was reported in Zee News that Sehwag wanted to take retirement in 2007 but Sachin Tendulkar stopped him.

Captaincy

He served as a captain of the Delhi Daredevils and Delhi Ranji teams. He also served as vice-captain of India. When India's main captain wasn't there, the vice-captain led the team.

Sehwag’s Record

Sehwag became the first player from any nation to win the Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World title for his performance in 2008, and he later became the first player to win the accolade again in 2009. Sehwag holds a series of records that includes the highest scorer and fastest batsman who smashed the fastest triple century in international cricket.

In addition, Sehwag is one of just four batters in Test cricket history to have scored 300 or more twice. In ODI cricket, Sehwag's century from 60 balls in March 2009 was the fastest by an Indian player to that point. He became the second batsman after Sachin Tendulkar to achieve the milestone on December 8, 2011, when he scored his first double-century in ODI cricket against the West Indies.

His 219 of 149 balls, which was the highest individual score in ODI cricket at the time, were later surpassed by Rohit Sharma's 264 of 173 balls on November 13, 2014. He is one of just two players in the world to have scored a triple hundred in Test Cricket and a double hundred in ODI after Chris Gayle.

Retirement

On October 20, 2015, Sehwag announced his retirement from all international cricket formats. He currently works for India's Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports as a member of the National Anti-Doping Agency's Anti-Doping Appeal Panel.