'Please forgive me' - Virender Sehwag recalls former India pacer's strenuous fielding drills

Published - 21 Aug 2025, 19:02 IST | Updated - 21 Aug 2025, 19:59 IST

Former India opener Virender Sehwag recalled how his hands would turn red after catching drills with ex-India speedster Yograj Singh during his younger days. Sehwag revealed that Yograj would give catches to players from close quarters, and nobody involved in the drill could raise an objection.

Sehwag said that the players eventually had to request Yograj to focus on others in the camp and include them in the drill to get some respite.

“Paaji, please forgive me. But the kind of catches he gave us standing at a distance of 15 yards. After taking 10-12 catches, your hands turned red. But you couldn’t say no. So finally we had to tell him that there are other boys around, and you can give them catching drills as well. It is not just us," Sehwag said on The Life Savers Show with Neha Bedi.

Yograj, who is the father of legendary Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, is known for his strict coaching techniques. He even put his son through tough practice sessions during his childhood days to prepare him for the rigours of international cricket.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has provided players with a fantastic platform to showcase their talent and hone their skills while playing alongside some of the best cricketers in the world. Sehwag, however, urged youngsters to play age-group cricket and domestic tournaments like the Ranji Trophy and the Duleep Trophy before venturing into the IPL.

"The key is to play Under-19s, First-class cricket, and then the IPL. It can’t be that you don’t play the others, but only play the IPL. The IPL can be an aim, but you need to play other tournaments such as Under-19s, Ranji Trophy, and Duleep Trophy, and then you can get a chance in the IPL," he said.

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Sehwag retired from all forms of cricket on October 20, 2015. The cricketer-turned-commentator played 104 Tests, 251 ODIs, and 19 T20Is, amassing 17,253 runs across formats.