After a long wait of two years, Arjun Tendulkar, the son of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians on Sunday. The left-arm fast bowling allrounder played his first match for the five-time champions against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium.
Arjun started domestic career with Mumbai and in search of a greater game time, he made the switch to Goa last year following which he churned out a series of impressive performances with the ball and the bat. In fact, he scored a century on his first-class debut just like his famous father did for Mumbai.
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In an exclusive chat with News18 CricketNext, Goa coach Mansur Ali Khan who has watched Arjun from close quarters, feels that the youngster has earned his place to be with the MI stalwarts and has worked hard to get into that space.
“I was waiting for him to make his IPL debut from the very first game. He is a very hardworking boy and I felt he truly deserved a place right from the first match. One advantage that he is a left-hander and he has put in that extra yard to be in that setup. He deserves to be in that space," Mansur said.
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“I had a hunch that Suryakumar Yadav (who led the side against KKR) would give him the debut. He can bowl Yorkers at will. I just feel it’s a good start and there was no nervousness on his face. He was very eager and hunger to play at that level," he added.
Khan also noted that making a shift from Mumbai to Goa in the domestic circuit was an important move for the youngster as it provided him with a better opportunity to showcase his skills.
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“The more he plays at that level, he will gain more confidence. Of course, you need to have the skill set at top level but with that, how mentally strong you are, that also matters," Mansur said.
“It was very, very important for his career to play full season, all the three formats. That game time has given him a lot of confidence which has taken him to the next level," he added.
Mansur also pointed out the fitness level of the 24-year-old and how he went through the domestic grind with his new team without picking up a single niggle.
“He played all the games without getting a single niggle so that has made him stronger. He bowled more than 350 overs across formats in full season. That has given him a lot of confidence," Mansur noted.
The Goa coach also threw light on the importance of having a left-arm pacer in the side 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 a simple reason, a left-arm fast bowler creates an angle, a trajectory which is slightly different and he can bring a lot of variety to the team," he said.
“If you see Dhoni, his funda was to have a left-arm pacer in the side," Mansur further said.
Arjun bowled two overs in his first game and returned with figures of 0/17.
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