No IPL 2026 game yet, but Arjun Tendulkar lands 400% pay hike after fierce Mumbai T20 bidding war

Arjun Tendulkar emerged as one of the top buys at the T20 Mumbai League auction

Updated on: May 3, 2026, 14:13:06 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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Arjun Tendulkar, son of India batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, is yet to get a game this season in the IPL for his new franchise, Lucknow Super Giants, but he found strong traction at the T20 Mumbai League, which held its fourth auction on Saturday. The all-rounder, who now represents Goa in domestic cricket, emerged among the top buys as he was signed for an amount equivalent to 33 per cent of his current IPL deal with LSG.

Arjun Tendulkar has yet to get a game this IPL season (PTI)

The 26-year-old, who was cleared by the BCCI for the auction and the tournament owing to his absence from any state association’s T20 competition in the last 12 months, was roped in by Arcs Andheri for ₹10 lakh — one-third of his current IPL salary of ₹30 lakh. He was traded to LSG from Mumbai Indians ahead of the start of this IPL season.

The final auction price, however, represents a 400 per cent increase on his base price of ₹2 lakh, as the T20 Mumbai League witnessed a strong bidding war for Arjun.

ALSO READ: Mumbai Indians not ready to drop Suryakumar Yadav, but recurring IPL 2026 struggles raise red flags

The left-arm pacer had initially joined Mumbai Indians after being picked at the IPL auction for ₹20 lakh in 2021, but was ruled out of that season due to injury. He was reacquired the following year but had to wait another season for his IPL debut. He played four matches in 2023, picking up three wickets. Mumbai retained him for the next season but handed him just one appearance, where he went wicketless for 22 runs in two overs.

Despite limited IPL opportunities, Arjun has been a regular in domestic cricket. He has featured in 24 First-Class matches, as many List A games, and 29 T20s since his debut in 2021 for Mumbai and Goa. He has picked up 52 wickets, including a five-wicket haul in red-ball cricket, and scored 685 runs, including a century.

The Mumbai League will also feature several India stars who were named Icon players and retained by their franchises ahead of the auction. The list includes Suryakumar Yadav (Triumph Knights Mumbai North East), Shreyas Iyer (SoBo Mumbai Falcons), and Ajinkya Rahane (North Mumbai Panthers).

Others on the list include Shivam Dube (Arcs Andheri), Yashasvi Jaiswal (Bandra Blasters), Shardul Thakur (Eagle Thane Strikers), Sarfaraz Khan (Aakash Tigers), and Tushar Deshpande (MSC Maratha Royals).

While Arjun was among the top buys at the men’s auction, Akash Parkar fetched the highest bid after being signed by SoBo Mumbai Falcons for ₹12 lakh. Prasad Pawar ( ₹11.50 lakh) and Musheer Khan ( ₹11 lakh) were picked up by Arcs Andheri.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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