Sehwag

New Delhi: Virender Sehwag is focused on doing well for Delhi DareDevils in the Indian Premier League. The DareDevils captain said at a press conference on Wednesday that they were looking to not repeating the mistakes committed in the earlier editions.

The following are excerpts

Winning the World Cup

Winning the World Cup was a great moment… not only for me but also for the entire nation. After all, we won it after a gap of 28 years. We are still celebrating and may continue to celebrate even between IPL matches… It was a dream that finally came true. I don’t know when that moment will come again. After the victory, everyone’s eyes were filled with tears and no one tried to hide it... We were all so happy… In the IPL, I look forward to repeating the same success for the Delhi DareDevils.

His feelings when India won the World Cup in 1983

Frankly, I did not realise the importance of the victory. I was only four years then. Actually, I didn’t even know that India had won the World Cup. Now that I am 32, I understand how big the achievement was.

On how he will explain to his son the importance of the win

Well, when he grows up, I will show him the photographs of the World Cup victory. At the moment, my son is too young… he would definitely understand the achievement when he grows up.

Whether Sachin Tendulkar should be honoured with Bharat Ratna

It’s a very good idea... I know that a lot of people want Sachin to get the country’s highest honour. From my part, all I can say is that like everyone else, I am a great fan of him and would certainly love to see him getting it.

[Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and former hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay also endorsed the view.]

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s captaincy

Does my opinion really matter? Everyone has seen how great a captain he is… Under him we won the T20 World Cup and now the World Cup in Mumbai. I have played a lot under him and found him a really good captain. With him at the helm, we should be able to achieve more in the future. I know how he goes about his job...

His disappointment after getting out without scoring in the final

Yes I was disappointed, but more important was that we won the World Cup.

Whether the IPL schedule is too hectic for the players

I don’t think it is a hectic schedule. Now we will play the IPL and after this, would be going to the West Indies and England... This is part and parcel of a cricketer’s life and there is hardly any point in complaining. The BCCI has also told the players that they can take a break as and when they feel the need. So I don’t think the schedule is very tiring. You should also keep in mind that IPL is basically a game of 20 overs… There is a gap between the games for the players to take rest.