Wanted Arjun to have freedom to express himself: Sachin Tendulkar on son’s IPL debut

Sachin didn’t sit in the dug-out outside the boundary line while Arjun was bowling, believing it could have made him conscious.

Sachin Tendulkar with his son and Mumbai Indians player Arjun Tendulkar before Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders. | Photo Credit: PTI

Sachin Tendulkar sat in the dressing room instead of team dug-out as he didn’t want son Arjun to deviate from his plans on his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.

The 23-year-old left-arm seamer had figures of 0 for 17 in 2 overs with six dot balls after stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav handed him the new ball on Sunday.

“It was a great moment. A special one to play for the team that I supported since 2008 and it was nice to get the cap from captain of MI and Indian team,” Arjun, who plays first-class cricket for Goa, told IPLT20.com.

For the legendary father, it was the first time that he watched his son play a competitive game.

“This was a new experience for me because till now I have not actually gone and watched him play. I wanted him to have the freedom to go out and express himself, and do whatever he wanted to,” Tendulkar said after MI’s seven-wicket win.

However during the initial part of KKR’s innings, Tendulkar didn’t sit in the dug-out outside the boundary line as it could have made Arjun conscious.

“Today, also I sat in dressing room as I didn’t want him (Arjun) to move away from his plans and start looking at mega screen and suddenly realise that I am watching him, so I was inside.” For the father, it was an emotional journey as he recollected his 16-year association with the franchise - six years as player and last 10 as a ‘Mentor’.

“Different feeling because 2008 was the first season for me and 16 years down the line, he plays for the same team, not bad,” he concluded.