Arjun Tendulkar, son of the legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar, has finally made his IPL debut in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday, putting an end to the long wait. This father-son duo has made history as the first-ever father-son pair to play in the IPL, both having made their appearances for Mumbai Indians. Sachin last appeared in the league in 2013.
Arjun was roped in by Mumbai Indians in the auction before the 2021 season for a base price of INR 20 lakhs. A year later, in the mega auction for the 2022 season, Arjun attracted two bidders, with Gujarat Titans also raising the paddle before he returned to MI for a price of INR 30 lakhs. Despite being in the squad for over seasons, he was not handed his debut cap until Sunday, April 16, 2023.
Before the toss, Arjun was seen having an intense conversation with his father Sachin, who has been long associated with the franchise, first as a player and now as a mentor. Later, regular skipper Rohit Sharma, who has not been included in the first XI for the match against KKR owing to a stomach bug, as explained by stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav, joined the conversation with Sachin. The duo tried to motivate the 23-year-old ahead of his debut at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. Arjun's sister, Sara, was also spotted in the stands.
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Mumbai Indians stand-in skipper Suryakumar won the toss and put KKR to bat first in the match. "I would love to bowl first. The wicket looks dry. The ball comes on to the bat nicely later," he said.
KKR, on the other hand, did not make any changes for the game.
READ| MI vs KKR: Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun makes his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians
