Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar recently made headlines as he spoke about never having watched his son, Arjun Tendulkar, play a competitive match before his IPL debut. The 23-year-old made his debut for the Mumbai Indians against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, and it was an emotional moment for the former Indian cricketer.
Speaking in a video posted on the IPL Twitter handle, Tendulkar revealed that he had never watched his son play before. “This was a new experience for me. Till now, I have not gone and watched him play. I just wanted him to have that freedom to go out and express himself whatever he wanted,” he said. “And today also I sat in the dressing room because I didn’t want him to move away from his plans and start looking at the mega screen here and suddenly realized that I was watching there. I was inside,” he added.
Tendulkar further went on to express his delight in seeing his son play for the same team that he played for. “It’s a different feeling because 2008 was the first season for me, and 16 years down the line, he plays for the same team. Not bad,” said Tendulkar Sr.
Meanwhile, Arjun Tendulkar debuted for the Mumbai Indians by bowling two overs for 17 runs in the match. He also received his debut cap from Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma. Speaking after the match, Arjun expressed his joy at playing for the team he had supported since 2008. “It was a great moment, special to play for them I have supported since 2008, and it was very nice to get the cap from MI and the Indian team,” he said.
Arjun’s debut was a proud moment for his family, especially his father Sachin Tendulkar, who despite never having watched his son play before, was overjoyed to see him play for the Mumbai Indians. With Arjun’s potential and his family’s cricketing legacy, it will be exciting to see how his career progresses in the coming years.