Sachin Tendulkar and his son Arjun (right) chat during a training session. Picture: Twitter
Johannesburg – Any young cricketer would be nervous ahead of his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians at the imposing Wankhede Stadium.
But when you’re Arjun Tendulkar – son of the legendary Sachin – then the pressure automatically intensifies.
The duo became the first father-son combination to play at the IPL when Arjun debuted on Sunday. Sachin, of course, played in the inaugural IPL back in 2008 as the Mumbai Indians’ icon player.
''It was a great moment, it is always special to play for the team I have supported since 2008,'' Arjun said after also being capped by Mumbai and Indian captain Rohit Sharma.
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— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 17, 2023
“It was very nice to get the cap from the captain of MI (Mumbai Indians) and the Indian team.”
Arjun delivered two overs for 17 runs in front of his famous father, who admitted it was the first time he had watched his son bowl live in a match.
''This was a new experience for me because 'till now I have not actually gone and watched him play,'' Sachin said.
''I just wanted him to have the freedom to go out and express himself and do whatever he wanted to.''
Sachin, who is the all-time highest run-scorer in both one-day international and Test cricket with more than 18,000 and 15,000 runs respectively, actively tries to stay out of the limelight to allow Arjun’s career to progress.
He even stayed away from the cameras purposefully while Arjun was doing his warm-ups out in the middle to avoid the attention being focused on him.
''I sat in the dressing-room because I didn't want him to let him move away from his plans and start looking at the mega screen here and suddenly realise that I was watching there. I was inside,'' Sachin said.
Sachin could, though, not help but get a little emotional about the fact what he and his son have achieved collectively.
''Different feeling, 2008 was the first season for me and 16 years down the line, he plays for the same team. Not bad,'' Sachin said.
Arjun will be hoping to continue the Tendulkar legacy with hopefully another opportunity in the IPL when Mumbai Indians travel to face Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday.
@ZaahierAdams