Dad hummed Bollywood classics at the crease, son Aaryavir Sehwag keeps it quiet

Unlike his father, who often turned to his favourite Bollywood classics at the crease to settle into long innings, Aaryavir Sehwag takes a quieter route. The young right-hander, son of Indian batting legend Virender Sehwag, prefers to channel all his attention into watching the ball. Making his debut in the Delhi Premier League 2025, Aryavir offered a glimpse of his promise - composed, watchful, and determined to shape a path distinct from his famous surname.

Playing for Central Delhi Kings, Aaryavir played a quick cameo of 22 (16) in Match 39 against East Delhi Riders. He whacked four boundaries and made head turns with his adventurous strokeplay. However, it wasn’t a smooth beginning for the 17-year-old at the senior level as he was jittery at the start of his innings, facing an international-level bowler in Navdeep Saini.

It took Aaryavir four balls to get off the mark, the weight of his surname evident in those early moments. Looking back on his debut, the 17-year-old admitted to nerves and said he leaned on his father’s advice after every delivery.

"It was my first match, so I was nervous. My dad used to get nervous too — it's not like he didn’t. But yes, I was definitely nervous,"Aaryavir said, responding to a query from IndiaToday.in during a media interaction.

"I don’t really have any specific method, but now my dad has told me to keep repeating in my mind: 'Watch the ball, play straight... watch the ball, play straight.' Once you hit two or three boundaries, then you just start reacting on instinct."

It didn’t take Aaryavir long to show that the blood running through his veins has little use for the word pressure.

His first boundary came with a fluent loft over extra cover, followed immediately by a confident stride down the track to thread the ball through the covers again. Any lingering nerves quickly gave way to composure as his strokes found the middle of the bat.

Two overs later, Rounak Waghela got the same treatment as he was dispatched towards third man and long on as the young opener moved into the 20s. Just when Aaryavir found his rhythm, he ended up mistiming a shot and was caught by Mayank Rawat, ending his innings on 22 (16).

The disappointment was evident on the youngster’s face, who made a long walk back to the pavilion.

However, Aaryavir had shown great promise during his stay at the crease, showing signs of a bright future for the youngster. Reflecting on his dismissal, after the match, Aaryavir admitted that the shot was unnecessary and strike rotation could’ve been a smart choice after getting two boundaries.

“Of course, I could have done better from here. I was very disappointed when I got out. I think my shot selection wasn’t right. And I had already scored two boundaries in that over, so there wasn’t even a need for that shot. I could have just rotated the strike. So I was very disappointed when I got out, but I’m hoping I will do well in the upcoming matches,” said Aaryavir.

WANT TO BREAK DAD'S RECORDS?

Having got off to a decent start, Aaryavir set his sights on putting up even better performances for Central Delhi Kings, who won the match by 62 runs after scoring 155/6 in 20 overs. The youngster also revealed his admiration for star India batters Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, hailing them as match winners.

“Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, both top-order batters. Just their presence on the field feels amazing. They are match-winners for India, which is very important. That alone is enough to idolise someone,” he said.

With a full career ahead of him, Aaryavir was asked which of his father's records he hoped to surpass. The youngster was firm in his reply - he would rather create records of his own.

“He has a lot of records, and I’ll try to set many records of my own and break quite a few too,” he added.

Aaryavir carries shades of his father’s confidence, visible in both his batting and his words. Whether he can one day match Virender Sehwag’s feats is a question for the future. For now, Aaryavir’s own journey is only just beginning.