Virender Sehwag to deliver Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi Lecture

Earlier, it was speculated that former India captain Sachin Tendulkar could deliver the memorial lecture, which is being organised by the BCCI since 2013.

Virender Sehwag has played for India in 104 Tests and 251 ODIs.

Former India batsman, Virender Sehwag, will be delivering the seventh Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi Lecture in Mumbai, on January 12.

"Sehwag will be delivering the lecture," the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief, Sourav Ganguly, confirmed to  Sportstar  on Thursday.

Earlier, it was speculated that former India captain Sachin Tendulkar could deliver the memorial lecture, which is being organised by the BCCI, since 2013. However, with Tendulkar travelling around that time, the Board has finally zeroed in on Sehwag -- who has played 104 Tests, 251 ODIs and 19 T20Is for India.

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The Pataudi Memorial lecture was established to honour the former Indian captain, who passed away in 2011. The inaugural lecture was delivered by Sunil Gavaskar on February 20, 2013, at the Taj Coromandel Hotel in Chennai.

In the past, Sunil Gavaskar, Anil Kumble, V.V.S. Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Farokh Engineer have delivered the lecture. In its last edition, in 2018, former England captain Kevin Pietersen had delivered the lecture in Bengaluru.

When contacted, even Sehwag confirmed the development. "Yes, I have confirmed to Dada," he wrote via a text message.

The BCCI awards will also be held on the same day.