When your father is arguably the biggest name in cricket ever, the pressure on you is unprecedented, especially when you have chosen to walk the same path as your dad. However, Arjun Tendulkar being a left-arm seamer by design helped his cause, given that his father was known for his batting genius.
It's not that Arjun couldn't bat at all, in fact the truth is far from it. After all, genes do come into play to some extent, right? Arjun is, however, a left-hand batter and started his career as a batter in the lower order. Therefore, a bowling all-rounder was the best way to define him if we were hoping to promote his batting skills. On Friday (November 28), Arjun decided to go a few notches higher.
During Goa's SMAT 2025 fixture against Uttar Pradesh, Arjun came out as one of the team's opening batters in a move that surprised everybody in the opposition camp. The southpaw struck 28 off 22 balls, including four boundaries and was the second-highest run scorer in the innings for Goa.
Abhinav Tejrana's 35-ball 72 was the highlight of the innings as he controlled the innings but his dismissal in the 15th over triggered an implosion. Goa finished with 172 and UP chased it down with ten balls to spare. Unlike his batting efforts, Arjun had a forgettable day with the ball, conceding 29 runs in the 2.2 overs that he bowled.
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However, the fact that Arjun opened the batting could be the start of a new chapter for the junior Tendulkar. Pace-bowling all-rounders are still a rarity in Indian cricket. Arjun initially moved from Mumbai to Goa in domestic cricket and his latest move from Mumbai Indians to Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL also hints at his intention to start a new chapter.
If he continues to open the batting in white-ball cricket, comparisons with his famous father will start to become a lot more frequent than they have so far. Arjun has featured in 65 domestic matches so far including IPL and has picked up 100 wickets while scoring 869 runs.
