After being dropped for India's ongoing tour of England, Virender Sehwag wants to make a mark in next month's Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.
The opener believes the slam-bang format suits his aggressive style of batting and is hoping to make up for his recent failures with a solid showing in the event.
"I'm waiting for it as it would allow me to just walk in and start playing my shots without bothering too much about anything. It's a new format and my kind of batsmen, who loath to leave or defend a ball, would definitely love it," he said at the launch of the ICC Twenty20 trophy in New Delhi on Wednesday along with ICC Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed.
"Personally, this Twenty20 World Cup is important for me to get back to the Indian side. I've been working hard on my batting skills and I hope to do well in South Africa," he said.
He also hailed Mahendra Singh Dhoni's appointment as captain for the event.
"It's wonderful to have Dhoni as the captain," says Sehwag, once India's vice-captain. "Everyone knows he is a match-winner and has a great knowledge of the game. He has done a brilliant job behind the stumps too. I hope he does well as captain and my wishes are with him."
He felt all-rounders would play a key role in the tournament.
"Though it depends on how good you are on that particular day, the key would be to score 200-210 runs and defend it. For that, you need all-rounders, who can bowl and then bat down the order."
Sehwag dismissed the notion that Twenty20 has no place for ageing pros like the Team India troika of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, who have opted out of the event.
"If Sachin Tendulkar bats for 20 overs, he would get a century and that would definitely help the side. I don't think Twenty20 is necessarily a youngster's game," said the 28-year-old batsman, the only Indian to score a triple century in Test cricket.
The tournament, the first of its kind at the international Twenty20 level, will see 27 matches take place at three venues -- Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg -- between September 11 and 24.
Sehwage unveiled the 12 kg silver-rhodium trophy, which has been designed by Minale Bryce Design Strategy of Queensland, Australia, and manufactured by Amit Pabuwal in India.
Photograph: Manpreet Romana/AFP/Getty Images
