Image source, @aaryavirsehwag
Being the son of Virender Sehwag may be the first identity of Aryaveer Sehwag, but now the runs coming off his bat are writing their own story.
On 10 November 2026, in a match of Under-19 Asia Cup in Oman, Aryaveer scored 160 runs in 168 balls against United Arab Emirates. His innings included 17 fours and seven sixes.
Thanks to Aryaveer's explosive innings, India Under-19 team defeated UAE by 70 runs.
This is the joint fifth highest score by an Indian batsman in Under-19 ODI cricket. Shubhman Gill and Mayank Agarwal have also scored 160 runs at this stage.
But Aryaveer's journey to reach this innings was not made only by big scores.
This includes many stories like playing with a plastic bat in childhood, participating in the trials in Delhi, being disappointed even after scoring 297 runs and losing wickets by playing wrong shots after getting a good start.
Sometimes he went to the stadium to watch his father bat, but could not reach on time due to traffic.
Sometimes his coach called him into the room a day before the match and explained how to play a big innings.
End
Now, thanks to his 160-run innings played in Oman, Aryaveer is once again in the news.
Aryaveer could not see his father's innings
Image source, Santosh Harhare/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
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Aryaveer's early memories related to cricket also include an innings which he could not see.
In his childhood, he was going to watch his father Virender Sehwag play in IPL. Sehwag used to play for Delhi Daredevils at that time.
There was so much traffic on the way that even before the family reached the stadium, Virender Sehwag was out.
Aryaveer had told this story in a video of Delhi Capitals, quoting which Times of India had published a report.
In the same conversation, he told that his and his brother's interest in cricket increased after watching their father play. Both brothers used to play cricket a lot with plastic bats and balls.
By December 2021, Aryaveer's name had appeared in the trial list of Delhi's Under-16 team. He was 14 years old at that time.
According to the notice of Delhi and District Cricket Association i.e. DDCA, he was called to Karnail Singh Stadium in Delhi for the initial trials of Vijay Merchant Trophy.
In the list, next to his name it was written, opening batsman.
Next year, Aryaveer was selected in the Delhi Under-16 team for the Vijay Merchant Trophy.
In October 2024, he scored 49 runs against Manipur in his first match of Vinoo Mankad Trophy.
Next month came an innings which brought him into the limelight on a large scale.
297 runs, still disappointing
In November 2024, a Cooch Behar Trophy match was being played between Delhi and Meghalaya in Shillong.
Aryaveer, who came to open the innings for Delhi Under-19 team, was unbeaten after scoring 200 runs till the end of the first day's play.
The next day he was out after scoring 297 runs on 309 balls.
According to the report of The Indian Express, Virender Sehwag, while congratulating his son, wrote that Ferrari fell short by 23 runs.
Its story was many years old.
Virender Sehwag had said in a conversation with cricket expert Harsha Bhogle in 2015 that if his children surpass his score of 319 runs in Test cricket, he will give them a Ferrari car.
To cross that score, Aryaveer had to score 23 more runs.
But Delhi Under-19 coach Yogesh Nagar saw some other disappointment on Aryaveer's face.
According to Nagar, Aryaveer was regretful that he could not complete the triple century by only three runs.
Yogesh Nagar has played in IPL under the captaincy of Virender Sehwag. Now he has also seen Aryaveer's batting from close.
Talking to The Indian Express, Nagar said that the way Aryaveer plays shots on the back foot, a glimpse of his father is visible.
Former Delhi Under-19 coach Jaswant Rai was also reminded of Virender Sehwag after seeing Aryveer's cut shot.
'Look at the ball and play straight'
Image source, x.com/BCCI
In August 2025, Aryaveer played his first match of Delhi Premier League for Central Delhi Kings.
In front was the team of East Delhi Riders, whose bowlers also included Indian fast bowler Navdeep Saini.
Aryaveer scored 22 runs on 16 balls.
After the match, he told India Today that he was nervous while coming on the field. While batting, he was repeating his father's advice in his mind, look at the ball and play straight.
But after the match he was thinking about the ball on which he had lost his wicket.
According to Aryaveer, he had already hit two fours in that over. After this there was no need to play another big shot.
He could have given another batsman a chance to play by taking one run.
In the next season, Aryaveer played for West Delhi Lions.
Team mentor Uday Gupte said that there were experienced opening batsmen in the team, hence Aryaveer did not get many opportunities.
But even while waiting for his turn to play, he continued to work hard in practice.
Three good starts for India
Aryaveer played his first three ODIs for India against the Australian Under-19 team in Rajkot in September 2026.
In these matches he scored 28, 47 and 34 runs.
He got good starts in all three matches, but could not reach half-century in any of them.
He was run out in the second match. In the third match, he lost his wicket while trying to hit a six.
In a conversation published on the BCCI website, Aryaveer had said that he was disappointed to be out like this in the last match.
He learned another lesson from this series.
Aryaveer had said that to play a big innings, he will have to divide it into different parts. The batsman has to understand when to play cautiously and when to score runs quickly.
Coach's advice before the match
After the series against Australia, Aryaveer returned to captain Delhi in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy.
A day before the match against Chandigarh, Delhi coach Rajeev Nayyar called him to his room.
Nayyar had seen Aryaveer getting out after playing a shot in the air after reaching around 40 runs in a previous match.
Talking to The Indian Express, Nayyar said that he advised Aryaveer to first understand the pitch and the bowler.
He said that one should not lose one's wicket after getting a good start. Once the batsman settles on the crease, he gets a chance to play his shots.
The next day, on 16 October, Aryaveer scored 173 runs in 143 balls.
Delhi lost that match. But Nayyar remembers that Aryaveer was not completely happy with his score that day too. This time he regretted not being able to complete a double century.
Along with his batting, Nayyar also praises his fielding, bowling and captaincy.
However, he says that reaching the senior Indian team is still far away. For that, Aryaveer will have to play well continuously in future also.
What changed in the innings of 160 runs?
In the Under-19 Asia Cup, Aryaveer scored unbeaten 70 runs on 52 balls against Nepal. India won this match by ten wickets.
In the next match, India lost to Pakistan.
After this, against UAE, Aryaveer added 193 runs with VK Vineet for the second wicket. India scored 309 runs for seven wickets in 50 overs.
The start of Aryaveer's innings of 160 runs was not fast.
His account was not opened on the first 13 balls. He scored the first run by hitting a four on the 14th ball.
It took him 131 balls to reach his century. After this he scored 60 runs in only 37 balls.
An example of how the pace of this innings changed was visible in the 38th over.
Aryaveer's century had been completed. The two parts of playing a big innings that Aryaveer had talked about in September were clearly visible in Oman.
First he waited to stay at the crease and for the runs to come. After this, as soon as the right opportunity came, the bowlers were attacked.
Whether this innings is enough for Aryaveer to reach the senior Indian team or not, the time to come and his consistent performance will answer this.
But for now, this innings has definitely done so much that he is now being recognized not only as the son of Virender Sehwag, but also as a young cricketer who is progressing with his batting.
Published by Collective Newsroom for the BBC.
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