reported by, Saumya Kapoor
Last Update: April 17th, 2023, 4:30 PM IST
Arjun Tendulkar bowled two overs for Mumbai Indians on his IPL debut. (pic credit: sportzpix)
Arjun Tendulkar made an impression in his first full season with the Goa cricket team which included a century on first-class debut
After a long wait of two years, Arjun Tendulkar, son of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians on Sunday. The left-arm pace bowling all-rounder made his debut for the five-time champions against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium.
Arjun started his domestic career with Mumbai and in search of more playing time, he made a move to Goa last year, after which he churned out a series of impressive performances with the ball and bat. In fact, he scored a century on his first-class debut, as did his famous father for Mumbai.
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in exclusive interview with News18 Cricket NextGoa coach Mansoor Ali Khan, who has watched Arjun closely, feels the youngster has earned his place with the MI giants and has worked hard to reach that spot.
He said, ‘I was waiting for his IPL debut from the very first match. He is a very hard working guy and I felt he really deserved his place from the very first match. One advantage is that he is a left-handed batsman and has put in extra yards to be in that setup. He deserves to be in that place,” Mansoor said.
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“I had an idea that Suryakumar Yadav (who led the side against KKR) would give him a debut. He can bowl yorkers at will. I think it’s a good start and there was no panic on his face. He was very keen and hungry to play at that level.”
Khan also said that the move from Mumbai to Goa in the domestic circuit was an important step for the youngster as it gave him a better opportunity to showcase his skills.
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The more he plays at that level, the more confidence he gets. Of course, you need to have the skill set at the top level, but along with that how mentally strong you are also matters,” said Mansoor.
He said, ‘It was very important for his career to play the whole season, in all three formats. That playing time has given him a lot of confidence which has taken him to the next level,” he said.
Mansour also took note of the 24-year-old’s fitness levels and how he came through domestic difficulties with his new team without a single injury.
He played all the games without a single injury which made him stronger. He bowled over 350 overs across all formats in the entire season. This has given him a lot of confidence,” said Mansoor.
The Goa coach also highlighted the importance of favoring the left-arm pacer and the kind of variety he brings to the setup.
“If you ask me as a coach, I would always prefer to have one or two left arm fast bowlers in the team. For one simple reason, a left-arm fast bowler bowls an angle, a trajectory which is slightly different and he can bring a lot of variety to the team,” he said.
Mansoor further said, ‘If you see Dhoni, his funda was to have a left-arm fast bowler in the team.’
Arjun bowled two overs in his first game and returned with figures of 0/17.
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