IPL 2023 | Sachin sat out of MI dug-out to give son Arjun 'freedom to express himself'

Update: 2023-04-17 11:55 GMT
Sachin and Arjun are the first father-son duo to play in the IPL. Photo: Twitter/IPL (Screengrab)

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.

Also read: IPL 2023 | Week 3 review: Last-ball thrillers, 2 tons, Arjun Tendulkar’s debut, and more

Great moment: Arjun

“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.

Sachin sits out

“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 Mumbai Indians seven-wicket win against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.

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, I sat in the 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,” Sachin said.

Emotional father

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.

Also read: IPL 2023 | RCB vs CSK: Gavaskar’s big statement on captain Dhoni

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

(With Agency inputs)

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