India legend Virender Sehwag believes cricketing stars of yesteryear have a responsibility to give back to the game, especially during domestic competitions such as the Indian Premier League.
The aggressive former right-handed opener, widely regarded as one of the best batsman of his generation given his ability to score big and quickly, is currently director and mentor of IPL outfit Kings XI Punjab.
Sehwag retired from international cricket in October 2015 but is still a prominent figure in Indian cricket and is keen to fulfil his role of passing the torch on to the next generation.
“It’s our duty to help the youngsters and that’s the kind of job we’re taking on now,” the 39-year-old, who scored 38 Test and one-day internationals combined, told Sport360 on the sidelines at the inaugural Colors Cricket Conclave event he participated in with Pakistan great Shoaib Akhtar in Dubai.
Sehwag has been busy with the Kings XI’s preparations for the IPL currently.
The Kings have star power in the form of Chris Gayle and home favourite Yuvraj Singh in their ranks but have never tasted IPL glory, with their best return yet a run to the final back in 2014.
But Sehwag is looking forward to working with new captain Ravichandran Ashwin and coach Brad Hodge, using his experience to help the players in the country’s premier event – which begins on April 7.
He said: “I still love being involved with the game. As a player when you play for your country, you obviously want to play for as long as you can but the moment you finish your career you want to stay with cricket and connect with cricket.”
The former Delhi Daredevils batsman added: “Luckily India has the IPL so all the great cricketers are doing work in those tournaments.”