"I thought I might as well be a fast bowler because there's not many in India."
After an outstanding performance in the Twenty20 series, Arjun Tendulkar looks set to follow his father’s footsteps. But he’s keen to make his own name in cricket and says he doesn’t feel stress from being Sachin Tendulkar’s son.
The 18-year-old is the only son of the legendary cricketer, who also has an older daughter named Sara.
With the legacy of Sachin so well-loved by fans, many would expect Arjun to feel some stress. As an emerging sportsman, fans will no doubt place many comparisons between the two.
However, when asked by BBC Stumped, he says: “I don’t take that pressure.
“When I bowl I just think hit the deck hard with every ball and when I bat I just play my shots, and choose which bowlers to take on and which not to.”
On 11th January 2018, Arjun showed his talent and skills for his team Cricket Club of India in a match with Hong Kong Cricket Club. Competing against each other in the Twenty20 series, the 18-year-old acted as a batsman.
He opened the batting with thrilling results, hitting 48 runs from 27 balls. In addition, Arjun picked up 4 wickets in as many overs against the rivalling team.
Arjun certainly shows magnificent capabilities as a left-handed batsman. However, he only enjoys this role only for Twenty20 matches – with Test tournaments, he becomes an exceptional bowler. This isn’t an attempt to remove any comparisons between his father and himself. He explains:
“I just grew taller and got stronger. And I just loved bowling fast in my childhood. So I thought I might as well be a fast bowler because there’s not many in India.”
Some cricket fans may notice similarities between Arjun and the likes of Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc. The 18-year-old cites these two as current inspirations of his, admiring their talents as both bowlers and batsmen.
While Arjun admits feeling no pressure of Sachin’s legacy, the famous star previously revealed he didn’t want to inflict stress on his son. Back in April 2016, the 44-year-old told The Economic Times:
“I am not interfering in his career because I think it is not fair.
“Unfortunately, he has the excess baggage of his surname and I know that is going to be there. It is not easy for him. For me, it was different as my father was a writer and nobody questioned me on cricket.
“I feel that my son should not be compared to me and should be judged for who he is.”
However, with his outstanding skills now shown to the world, perhaps Arjun will become successful in carving his own independent career.
Of course, this will include one day earning a spot in an Indian Premier League (IPL) team, which the 18-year-old admits is “very hard”, saying: “You gotta perform consistently.”
With exciting performances such as the Twenty20 series under his belt, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for Arjun Tendulkar!
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