Watch: Virender Sehwag opens up ahead of Asia Cup – 'Losing to Pakistan...'

Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has opened up about the intense emotions he felt whenever India lost to Pakistan. With the highly anticipated Asia Cup clash between the arch-rivals scheduled for September 14, Sehwag recalled how such defeats often made him lose his focus and temper. Sehwag, who played 42 matches against Pakistan and averaged 50.65, admits that while he has celebrated 17 wins, he has been on the losing side 21 times. The frequent setbacks against Pakistan, he says, sometimes disrupted his concentration on the field.

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"Whenever you lose against Pakistan. So I would lose my concentration. I would lose my temperament and everything," Sehwag said. One of his most memorable performances came during India’s 2008 tour of Pakistan.

Facing a steep target of 300 in Karachi, Sehwag produced a masterful innings of 119 from just 95 balls. He struck 12 boundaries and five sixes, helping India chase down the total with 47 balls to spare. Remarkably, he accomplished this while fasting, showing his sheer determination to succeed even under challenging conditions.

“I was on a fast that day. On an empty stomach. I had to score runs to satisfy that hunger,” Sehwag said while reflecting on the innings.

Sehwag shared these insights in a video posted by Sony Sports Network on X. You can watch the full video here. Looking ahead to the Asia Cup 2025, India finds itself in a competitive Group A alongside the UAE, Pakistan, and Oman. India will open its campaign against the UAE on September 10, face Pakistan on September 14, and conclude the group stage against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.India’s squad for Asia Cup: Surya Kumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh