Arjun Tendulkar: Has nepotism seeped into IPL?

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar’s son Arjun Tendulkar making an entry into the IPL under dramatic circumstances has opened floodgates among netizens questioning the merit of his selection in IPL side Mumbai Indians.

Hyderabad: When millions of rupees flying around, you wouldn't expect people to go gaga over Rs 20 lakh signing. But, if the name is Arjun Sachin Tendulkar, who has been graduated to the senior rank of Mumbai Indians under dramatic circumstances on Thursday, then netizens tend to keep debating on the merit of his selection in the IPL Auction 2021.

There is a famous Shakespearean saying, "What is in a name?" But if you are a son of legendary Sachin Tendulkar, arguably Indian cricket's most revered name, then you tend to come under the spotlight.

It happens when the son chooses to ply his trade in a profession in which his father is regarded as the epitome of the practice.

Ever since Arjun Tendulkar, 21, opted to step into the field of cricket, he has always been under heavy scrutiny from all quarters. His every performance makes the headlines whether he plays in any local Mumbai tournament or any BCCI run domestic trophy. The interest of Sachin's fans is often, reasonably, blamed for this.

Sachin Tendulkar handing over a white ball to his son Arjun Tendulkar during an IPL net session.

However, he is not the first son of a legendary Indian cricketer who has been subjected to high expectations and brutal criticism.

Of late, Rohan Gavaskar and Stuart Binny had to confront this kind of situation apart from playing cricket. The son of Little Master Sunil Gavaskar and 1983 World Cup-winning hero Roger Binny, a pacer of fine repute, had to come through the ranks of domestic cricket before making it to the Indian team. Every shot Rohan played, every ball Stuart bowled was seen through the prism of their father's performances. They could never reach the level of their legendary fathers.

Arjun Tendulkar, a budding all-rounder, has not yet played for the Indian team at any level. Nor he played for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy. But still, he has been in the limelight.

Now, he will play for Mumbai Indians, a privately owned IPL franchise. But what raises eyebrows over his signing by India's most successful IPL side is his not-so-proven track record. Because of this reason allegations of nepotism has been coming thick and fast on social media.

When Riley Meredith's price surged to Rs 8 crore from his base price of Rs 40 lakh, 'Voice of Cricket' Harsha Bhogle was surprised to see Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings going into a bidding war for an uncapped overseas pacer. "Sorry, don't understand bidding for Riley Meredith. 8cr??" Bhogle tweeted. The Australian has become the most expensive uncapped player to be bought in any IPL auction ever.

A young Arjun Tendulkar taking tips from legendary Wasim Akram, who was then KKR bowling coach.

It must be noted that the 24-year-old Aussie has been impressive both in BBL and Sheffield Sheild in recent time. Meredith picked up 16 wickets at an economy rate of 7.82 for Hobert Hurricanes. In Sheffield Shield, he picked up 27 wickets for Tasmania. Because of his outstanding performance, Cricket Australia selected him for the T20I series against New Zealand to be played later this month.

If Harsha feels Rs 8 crore is too much for a numerically backed Meredith, based on what Arjun Tendulkar could come on board of Mumbai Indians rank?

Youngsters like C Hari Nishaanth (CSK), Mohammed Azharuddeen (RCB) and Ventaesh Iyer (KKR) who got a Rs 20 lakh deal each have an impressive record in India's domestic T20I tournament, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Even 25-year-old Masood Shahrukh Khan, signed for a hefty Rs 5.25 crore, has earned the deal on the basis of his ability as a clean hitter and handy spinner. He was key to Tamil Nadu's Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title win this year.

Now, comparing young Arjun Tendulkar with these proven stars of India's domestic T20 league will be unfair. Arjun got to play just two matches for Mumbai and contributed 3 runs and 2 wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He grabbed the limelight for smashing an unbeaten 31-ball 77 and picking up three wickets for 41 runs in the 73rd Police Invitation Shield cricket tournament. That could be a reason for his selection. But the question lies somewhere else - can performing in a local Mumbai tournament make a player eligible for nerve-wracking IPL?

Will it be not creating unneeded pressure on Arjun?

In cricket, there are plenty of examples where both father-son duos succeeded while playing at the highest level of cricket. Lala Amarnath and Mohinder Amarnath, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and Geoff Marsh and Shaun Marsh are a few legendary father-son duos who have done justice to their reputation playing at the highest level.

But their sons had to rise through the rigorous process to reach that stage. They had never got a pass only because their father was a big name in cricket.

A teenage Arjun Tendulkar learning how to grip the ball from Indian bowling legend Zaheer Khan, who is now the Director of Cricket Operations at Mumbai Indians.

Zaheer Khan, Director of Cricket Operations, Mumbai Indians, said, "I have spent lots of time with him in the nets, trying to teach him a few tricks of the trade. He is a hard-working kid and he is keen on learning. That's the exciting part. The added pressure of the name Sachin Tendulkar is always going to be there with him."

"He has worked hard for a couple of years now, coming to the nets and bowling to the guys, he especially worked very hard in UAE with us," head coach Mahela Jayawardene stated.

Arjun, who has been with Mumbai Indians as a net bowler for quite a few years now and even travelled with the franchise in the UAE last season, expressed his gratitude to Mumbai Indians for facilitating his rise to competitive cricket. "I would like to thank the coaches, owners and the support staff for showing faith in me," Tendulkar junior said in a video message on Mumbai Indian's Twitter handle.

But this can't rule out the allegation of nepotism against Sachin Tendulkar who is the mentor of Mumbai Indians. Sachin is a very influential figure in Indian cricket for what he achieved for the country. So, will ruling out his role in his son's selection be justifiable?

First of all, the reason why Arjun Tendulkar was the last name in IPL 2021 auction is still unknown. Even when the bid for unsold players started, Arjun's name didn't come for the bidding. And finally, when his name popped up at the business end of the IPL 2021 auction, Mumbai Indians was the first and last franchise to bid for the cricketer. Is it not enough to make us curious?

Arjun Tendulkar is a left-arm pacer.

This was, however, by no mean Arjun's fault to get picked by Mumbai Indians. Since Zaheer Khan and Mahela Jayawardene have been watching him for some years now, they must have spotted a good talent in Arjun.

But the question is should Arjun was not the son of Sachin, had he ever been signed by Mumbai Indians at this stage of his career, or had he been picked as a net bowler?

When it comes to spending money on uncapped players, all franchises bid for a player who has proved himself in competitive cricket at the very onset of his career. But, Arjun has very little number to his credit.

However, as he has made it to the highest level, now, Arjun could make things big for him from this stage of his career. Getting a chance at a highly competitive T20 tournament like IPL is itself a massive thing for a young cricketer in a cricket crazy country like India. Hence, Arjun doesn't deserve to waste it. There are plenty of cricketers who spend their entire career waiting for such an opportunity which they never get for known and unknown reasons.

But, having no experience of the rigour of domestic cricket playing IPL could prove to be a make or break for Arjun Sachin Tendulkar.

-- Sudipta Biswas