Mumbai Indians cricketer Arjun Tendulkar made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut on April 16 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). It was an emotional moment for him as well as his father Sachin Tendulkar who is the mentor of the five-time champions. Arjun got to bowl only two overs upfront with the new ball conceding 17 runs in his first ever spell in the cash-rich league. However, the left-arm pacer played an important role in MI's win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) defending 20 runs in the final over nailing yorkers at will leading his team to a crucial 14-run win.
In the process, Arjun also picked up his first IPL wicket as well dismissing Bhuvneshwar Kumar off the penultimate delivery of the innings. However, the debut hasn't come easily for Arjun. He has been part of the MI camp since IPL 2021 when he was picked by the five-time champions for his base price of INR 20 lakh. Many were hoping for him to get a chance last year when the Rohit Sharma-led side completely struggled throughout the season.
Ahead of IPL 2022, MI once again picked Arjun Tendulkar in the mega auction, this time at a price of INR 30 lakh. Gujarat Titans also showed interest in him but MI managed to secure his services. The youngster was retained for the 2023 edition of the cash-rich league and has impressed so far in a couple of outings. The MI camp will be hoping for him to improve with every game and make an impact. Arjun is a decent batter as well but is yet to get a chance to show his skills in that department.
Meanwhile, his father Sachin Tendulkar was extremely delighted after Arjun picked his first IPL wicket. He also congratulated Mumbai Indians for winning their third consecutive game beating SRH by 14 runs. "A superb all-round performance by Mumbai Indians once again. Cameron Green impressed with both bat & ball. Ishan & Tilak’s batting is as good as it gets! The IPL is getting more interesting every day. Great going boys! And finally a Tendulkar has an IPL wicket!"
