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Arjun Tendulkar was finally handed his debut Indian Premier League (IPL) cap when the Mumbai Indians (MI) took the field against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Sunday, April 16. Son of the legendary India batter Sachin Tendulkar, Arjun was bought by the franchise during the IPL 2023 auction for his base price of Rs 20 Lakh, before costing Rs 30 Lakh during the IPL 2023 mega auction.
Despite his presence in the squad for two seasons, Arjun wasn't handed his debut cap until Sunday.
What makes this moment even more special is the connection that the young all-rounder has with the Wankhede. It was the same stadium in which he saw his father lift the ODI World Cup in 2011, and on Sunday, became the first-ever father-son pair to have played in the IPL, with both having made their appearances for MI. Sachin last appeared in the league in 2013.
Ahead of the toss, Arjun was seen having an intense conversation with his father Sachin, who has long been associated with the franchise, first as a player and now as a mentor.
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Before the toss, skipper Rohit Sharma, who is not in the Playing XI after suffering from a 'stomach bug', as explained by stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav. He joined the conversation with Sachin as the duo tried to motivate the 23-year-old ahead of his debut at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. Arjun's sister Sara was spotted in the stands too.
Meanwhile, stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav will face an uphill task against the firepower of KKR batters when the teams clash on Sunday, with both former champions looking to put their campaigns back on track.
Suryakumar Yadav has had a poor run of form with the bat this season, having scored just 16 runs in his last five matches and averaging 5.33 runs. This includes three golden ducks — two in the ODI series against Australia and one in the last match against the Delhi Capitals (DC).
While Mumbai Indians were able to break their winless streak in their last game against Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders went down fighting on Friday night against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a high-scoring contest at the Eden Gardens.
However, despite winning the previous game, the most successful IPL team, Mumbai Indians, will be under added pressure at the Wankhede Stadium, for they have not been able to harness their potential so far in IPL 2023.
With two wins and as many defeats, KKR have had their share of highs and lows and have four points as compared to Mumbai Indians who have two points and an NRR of -0.879.
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