IPL 2021: Arjun Tendulkar opens up after Mumbai Indians pick him in the auction

Arjun Tendulkar, the son of former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, has made his way into the Indian Premier League (IPL). The Young Turk has been picked to play for the Mumbai Indians (MI) at his base price of INR 20 lakhs during the auction, which took place on Thursday, February 18.

In January, he made his debut for Mumbai in the 2021 edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. In two games, he could manage to pick up only two wickets and conceded runs at an economy rate in excess of nine. It was thereafter learned that he decided to try his luck out in the IPL.

Arjun Tendulkar over the moon

In the meantime, Sara Tendulkar, Arjun’s younger brother, congratulated him. Sara took to his Instagram story and wrote, “Nobody can take this achievement away from you. It is yours.” Arjun also opened up and expressed his joy after being given the golden opportunity.

In a video, uploaded by MI on their official Twitter handle, Arjun expressed gratitude to the franchise for picking him. “I would like to thank the coaches, owners, and the support staff for showing faith in me,” Arjun was quoted as saying in the video.

Here’s the message:

"I would like to thank the coaches, owners and the support staff for showing faith in me." 🙌💙

Arjun Tendulkar shares his thoughts on joining MI 👇#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #IPLAuction pic.twitter.com/fEbF6Q1yUF

— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) February 18, 2021

Meanwhile, Mahela Jayawardene, MI’s head coach and former Sri Lankan cricketer, stated that Arjun’s selection was made based on his skills.

“We’ve looked at it purely on a skill basis. I mean, there is going to be a big tag on his head because of Sachin. But, luckily, he’s a bowler, not a batsman. So I think Sachin will be very proud if he could bowl like Arjun.

“I think it’s going to be a learning process for Arjun. He just started playing for Mumbai, and now the franchise. He will learn the ropes; he will evolve,” Jayawardene was quoted as saying after the end of the auction.

Arjun made his U19 debut in 2018, but he couldn’t take part in the 2020 World Cup in South Africa. But he continued to play club cricket in England to refurbish his skills. Once, he hogged the limelight after hitting Jonny Bairstow on the toes with a Yorker.