Under Rahul Dravid’s tutelage, new U-19 player Arjun Tendulkar holds great promise

Cricket is the most played and followed game in India, where cricket players enjoy a star status in the country. Many stars have been termed legends and stalwarts of the game, but there is only one God in cricket, Sachin Tendulkar. For 24 years, Sachin Tendulkar carried the dreams of a billion people on his shoulders when wearing the blue jersey. With his departure from international cricket in 2013, the frenzy surrounding his name died down. Hope of Tendulkar playing for India again is still alive though with his son Arjun Tendulkar coming of age and joining the Under 19 Indian team. Arjun Tendulkar has been picked up to join the U-19 Team which is going to tour Sri Lanka for two four-day games. A left arm fast bowler who regularly clocks 135+ kmph, the six foot tall son of Sachin is probably going to fulfill Sachin’s wish of being a fast bowler. Sachin had always dreamt of being a fast bowler and had even visited MRF Pace Academy to train, but had switched to batting following advice from Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee. Sachin’s height and his physique would have thwarted his bowling ambitions, and Dennis had advised him to carry on as a specialist batsman, which Sachin dutifully obliged.

There is no such problem with Arjun Tendulkar though, at six foot plus he idolizes Australian left arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc and England all rounder Ben Stokes. He has proved his mettle in the Harris Shield tournament by taking eight wickets in his debut match. He has also proven to be handy with the bat in his debut at the Spirit of Cricket Global Challenge in Australia. He played for the Cricketer’s Club of India against Hong Kong Cricket Club in a T20 format game and surprised everyone with his all round performance by  scoring a quick-fire 48 off 27 deliveries and then went on to take four wickets. His performances in local tournaments have been noteworthy and the graph of his progress is yet to take a dip, even after he suffered from two back to back stress injuries which kept him away from cricket for a whole year. He has played in various locations around the globe from London to Australia, and has had the privilege of learning from great bowlers and cricketing minds such as Wasim Akram and Lasith Malinga amongst others from around the globe. His determination to play at all times is revealed every time a country or a club is visiting Mumbai. He bowls to great contemporary batsmen and yesteryears legends and hones his skills whenever he gets the chance.

India Under 19 Cricket team is managed by the great Wall of Indian Cricket-Rahul Dravid. Under his guidance and mentorship, Arjun Tendulkar’s graph is sure to reach new heights. Arjun Tendulkar might go on to become a fiery fast bowler by the time he fully matures, and Rahul Dravid is the best possible person to guide upcoming cricketers. This combination is sure to create wonders in the upcoming days and good news will follow suit. Arjun Tendulkar has been selected because of his skills as a fast bowler and not because he comes from the family of Sachin Tendulkar. Rahul Dravid will make sure that he tries and tests him thoroughly before Arjun proceeds to the senior levels. Perseverance and hard work will be the key to the success of Arjun Tendulkar in Indian cricket, and not nepotism.