MI’s Arjun Tendulkar in action during the IPL match between KKR and Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: K.R. DEEPAK
Arjun Tendulkar’s long wait to play for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) ended on April 16 when he was named in the playing XI for the match against Kolkata Knight Riders here.
The 23-year-old all-rounder opened the bowling attack for Mumbai Indians and sent down two impressive overs in which he got the ball to move into the right-handed batters early in the innings.
He gave away 17 runs without taking a wicket. He was hit for a six and a four by KKR batter Venkatesh Iyer, who went on to complete his maiden IPL century later in the innings.
Following his debut, Arjun and his illustrious father Sachin — spotted during the team’s training session on April 15 ahead of the game and also in the team dugout on April 16 — became the first father-son pair to feature in the 15-year history of IPL, and that too for the same side.
Sachin played for Mumbai Indians for six years, between 2008 and 2013.
Arjun was picked by the five-time IPL champions for the first time during the 2021 auction at his base price of ₹20 lakh.
Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma hands over the debut IPL cap to Arjun Tendulkar during the match against Kolkata Knight Riders in Indian Premier League 2023, at Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
ANI
While the Wankhede Stadium is the home ground for Arjun and Mumbai Indians, the young cricketer is no longer associated with domestic side Mumbai as he moved to Goa in the second half of 2022 in pursuit of regular playing time in domestic circuit.