Arjun Tendulkar, son of legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, was bought by Mumbai Indians for his base price of Rs 20 lakh at the IPL 2021 auction held in Chennai on Thursday. MI head coach Mahela Jayawardene has said that Arjun was picked “purely on a skill basis” and his time with the franchise will be a learning process.
The former Sri Lanka captain said the 21-year-old medium pacer evolve his game, describing him as a “very focused young man”.
“We’ve looked at it purely on a skill basis. I mean, there is going to be a big tag on his head because of Sachin. But, luckily, he’s a bowler, not a batsman. So I think Sachin will be very proud if he could bowl like Arjun,” Jayawardene was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“I think it’s going to be a learning process for Arjun. He just started playing for Mumbai, and now the franchise. He will learn the ropes; he will evolve. He’s still young. A very focused young man,” he added.
Arjun was also the Mumbai Indians net bowler during the 2020 IPL.
“We have to give him time and hopefully not put a lot of pressure on him either. Just let him evolve and work his way up, and that’s what we’re there to help him to do,” Jayawardene said.
Arjun, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude after being picked by the Mumbai Indians, in a video posted on the franchise’s official Twitter account.
“Since childhood, I have always been a die-hard fan of Mumbai Indians. I would like to thank coaches, owners, and support staff for showing faith in me. I am excited to join the MI paltan,” he said.
Mumbai Indians’ Director of Cricket Operations and former India cricketer Zaheer Khan also said that Arjun is a “hardworking kid” and is “keen on learning”, but he will have to prove himself.
“The added pressure of being Sachin Tendulkar’s son will always be on him, it is something he needs to live with, the environment of the team will help him. It will help him become a good cricketer, how many times a youngster gets picked in the auction and everyone is talking about him, he has to prove himself and he has to show everyone he has the goods,” Zaheer Khan said during a virtual press conference.
