IPL 2021: 'Purely a skill-based selection', Jayawardene on Arjun Tendulkar
What's the story
After the completion of IPL 2021 player auction, Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene asserted that Arjun Tendulkar has been picked by the franchise purely on the basis of his skills. Arjun, who is the son of legend Sachin Tendulkar, was bought by the MI for his base price of Rs. 20 lakh in the recently-concluded mini-auction of IPL. Here is more.
Praise
'Sachin will be proud if he could bowl like Arjun'
The Mumbai Indians head coach highlighted the skills of fast-bowling all-rounder Arjun. "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," Jayawardene told ESPNcricinfo.
Experience
It will be a learning experience for Arjun
Jayawardene believes it will be a learning experience for young Arjun. "He just started playing for Mumbai. He will learn the ropes; he will evolve. He's still young," he said. "We have to give him time and not put a lot of pressure on him. Just let him evolve and work his way up, and that's what we're there to help him to do."
Signing
Arjun made his T20 debut earlier this year
Arjun was the final signing of the 2021 IPL auction before the event concluded. He entered the auction pool on the back of his T20 debut with Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He registered figures of 1/34 against Haryana in his debut T20 game. The 21-year-old would hope to follow his father's footsteps in his maiden IPL season.
Nets
Arjun has been spending time in the Mumbai Indians nets
Arjun has been spotted bowling in the Mumbai Indians nets several times. Reflecting on the same, Jayawardene said, "I've spent a lot of time in the nets, trying to teach him some tricks of the trade, he is a hardworking kid, he is keen on learning, it is an exciting part. The added pressure of being Sachin Tendulkar's son will always be on him."
MI
Other notable signings by the Mumbai Indians
Besides Arjun, defending champions Mumbai Indians also made a number of other notable signings. They picked up the likes of Nathan Coulter-Nile (Rs. 5 crore), Adam Milne (Rs. 3.2 crore), James Neesham (Rs. 50 lakh), Yudhvir Charak (Rs. 20 lakh), Marco Jansen (Rs. 20 lakh), and Piyush Chawla (Rs. 2.40 crore). Notably, Coulter-Nile was released by the franchise ahead of the auction.