‘Tendulkar Jr will have to prove himself’

NEW DELHI: Batting great Sachin Tendulkar’s son Arjun was picked “purely on skill” and the left-arm seamer will have to prove himself at this year’s Indian Premier League, the IPL franchise have said. In the last purchase of the players’ auction in Chennai, Arjun joined Mumbai at his base price of $27,522 having been their net bowler in the last IPL.

“We’ve looked at it purely on a skill basis,” head coach Mahela Jayawardene said. “There’s going to be a big tag on his head because of Sachin. But luckily he’s a bowler, not a batsman. I think Sachin will be very proud if he could bowl like Arjun.”

After playing U-16 and U-19 cricket for Mumbai, Arjun made his senior debut in last month’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. “We have to give him time and hopefully not put a lot of pressure on him. Let him evolve and work his way up,” former Sri Lanka captain Jayawardene said.

The franchise’s director of cricket operations Zaheer Khan hoped Arjun would grew better under bowling coach Shane Bond. “The added pressure of the name Sachin Tendulkar is always going to be there on him which he’ll have to live by,” former India pacer Zaheer said.

“He has to prove himself. He has to show all the coaching staff, and the team think-tank, that he belongs there.

“What he does at the highest level is something in his own hands.” Arjun has thanked the franchise for showing faith in him. “Since childhood, I’ve been a die-hard fan of the Mumbai Indians ... I’m excited to join the team and can’t wait to wear the blue-and-gold.”