'Zaheer told me this. During nets, Arjun...': Ex-MI star reveals Tendulkar jr.'s stunning similarity with Sachin

Arjun Tendulkar has played in two matches in the 2023 Indian Premier League so far, and took his maiden wicket in MI's last game against SRH.

Last week, Arjun Tendulkar made his Indian Premier League debut for Mumbai Indians, ending a three-year wait for his first cap. The side's captain, Rohit Sharma, handed Arjun the cap and the bowling all-rounder had made a decent start to his IPL career; he bowled only two overs in his first game – both in Powerplay, conceding 18. In his next game on Tuesday against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Arjun finally took his maiden wicket in the league as he dismissed Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Sachin Tendulkar (L) with Arjun(PTI)

Arjun was handed the final over of the match as Rohit tasked the Tendulkar junior with 20 runs to defend off the last six deliveries. The 23-year-old eventually conceded only five, dismissing Bhuvneshwar off the penultimate delivery of the game. In the absence of some of the premier bowlers including Jofra Archer and Jasprit Bumrah, Arjun – despite lack of consistent fast pace – executed his yorkers to near-perfection in the final over, and impressed the former cricketers and fans alike with his line and lengths.

Ahead of the side's game against Punjab Kings, former Indian cricketer Pragyan Ojha spoke in detail about Arjun after a query from Hindustan Times over the bowling all-rounder's performances so far, and whether the MI could use him in death overs more often in this season.

“I feel, as a a young boy who is just playing his second game, he's shown what hard work and dedication can help you achieve. Bowling those overs isn't easy, epsecially when you're playing in your second game. Whatever were the things he was trying to do, they were happenng for him. He was trying to get the ball to swing into the batter, he was able to do that. He was trying to bowl the yorkers, and he was able to do that too. He's got the temperament, the skill, and he wants to work hard,” Ojha, IPL expert for Jio Cinema, told Hindustan Times.

Ojha also revealed his chat with Zaheer Khan – MI's global head for cricket development – about Arjun, stating that the son of legendary former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has to be “dragged” out from the nets.

“I was talking to Zaheer Khan the other day, he told me that Arjun is someone you have to drag out of the nets, that's the dedication he has. We have to judge him as an individual, not as a legend's son. He has to improve, obviously. As T20 cricket continues to evolve, you need to have as many skills as possible to sustain in this kinds of leagues, and further go and play a higher level of cricket,” Ojha said.

Interestingly, many former cricketers have made similar comment about Sachin Tendulkar during the latter's playing days as well. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who had played with Tendulkar since their U-15 days, had said the same thing about the legendary batter.

“It has been a privilege to play with a legend like him. Even during our U-15 days, we knew he was a special talent. He just loved to bat. Our coach had to literally drag him out of the nets so that others would get a chance. His love for the game has not diminished one bit,” Ganguly had said about Tendulkar in 2012.

Tendulkar junior, meanwhile, is likely to retain his place when MI take on the Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. With three wins on the trot, MI are currently sixth in the IPL 2023 table.