Virender Sehwag vs Shoaib Akhtar is one of the best India vs Pakistan battles there has been in the last 20 years. This battle has been between the fastest bowler in the world vs the most aggressive opening batter in the world. This was a staple in the 2000s and India vs Pakistan was a regular fixture before 2008. This rivalry often defined what would happen in their matches. Shoaib Akhtar is one of the rarest bowlers to have bowled over the 160 km/h mark.

Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag has played 104 Test Matches for India. He has been the opening batter who has revolutionized Test Cricket batting. He has scored 8586 runs at an average of 49.34. He has hit 23 Test Hundreds along with 6 double hundreds and 2 triple hundreds in Test Cricket. He had an amazing strike rate of 82.21 in Test Cricket. Virender Sehwag also played 251 ODI Matches for India. He has made 8273 runs at an average of 35.06. He has made 15 hundreds in ODI Cricket and a double hundred as well. He has made a total of 16,800+ international Runs and 38 international hundreds.

Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar is the fastest bowler to have ever played international cricket. He has bowled the fastest ball of all time. He has played 46 Test Matches for Pakistan. He has taken 178 Wickets at an average of 25.70. He has taken 12 Five Wicket Hauls and 2 times he has taken 10 wickets in a Test Match. Shoaib Akhtar has also played in 163 ODIs for Pakistan in which he has taken 247 Wickets. He has an average of 24.98 in ODIs and he has taken 4 Five Wicket Hauls in ODI Cricket. He has taken a total of 425 international Wickets for Pakistan.

Head to Head

Shoaib Akhtar has bowled 212 balls to Virender Sehwag in Test Cricket. Sehwag has made 177 runs and he has been dismissed 3 times by Shoaib Akhtar. 

In ODI Cricket Virender Sehwag has faced 92 balls and he has scored 64 runs against Shoaib Akhtar. He has been dismissed 1 time.

Memorable Encounters

• Their first Memorable Encounter was in the 2004 Test series in Pakistan. This was the first Test Match and Virender Sehwag had made a staggering 309 runs from 375 balls with 39 fours and 6 sixes. Shoaib Akhtar was not able to dismiss him. He bowled 77 balls to Virender Sehwag in the first innings.

• Their next Memorable Encounter was in the second Test Match in the 2004 series. This time it was in the second innings of the Test Match. Virender Sehwag made 90 runs but he was dismissed by Shoaib Akhtar. Shoaib Akhtar bowled 51 balls in this innings out of 134 balls that he faced.

• In ODI Cricket their memorable Encounter took place in 2004 as well. It was the first ODI in 2004. Virender Sehwag hit 79 runs from 57 balls. Shoaib Akhtar bowled 12 balls to Virender Sehwag in this innings but was not able to get him out. India won this match by 5 runs.