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Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has shared a blunt opinion about Arjun Tendulkar and his chances of getting regular games in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Arjun, who has been improving as a left-arm fast bowler in domestic cricket, was recently traded from the Mumbai Indians (MI) to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the 2026 season at his base price of ₹30 lakh. This will be his first time playing for a team other than the Mumbai Indians.
Why Arjun Tendulkar won't feature in IPL?
However, Ashwin believes it will be very difficult for Arjun to get game time at his new team. According to him, LSG already has a strong group of fast bowlers, which makes it hard for Arjun to find a place in the playing XI.
“Arjun Tendulkar khelega hi nahi (Arjun Tendulkar won’t play at all), and let’s not even go there. I think it is very difficult because there are Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, and Mohammad Shami in this lineup. There are so many fast bowlers. How will he play? I don’t think he makes any case unless and until there are a lot of injuries,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Arjun made his T20 debut in 2021 and has played only a handful of IPL matches so far. In total, he has played five IPL games and picked up three wickets. He has also shown promise with the bat and in domestic cricket, where he continues to develop as a player.
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Will LSG qualify for IPL 2026 playoffs?
Ashwin also spoke about LSG’s chances in the upcoming season and didn’t sound too optimistic. He feels the team may struggle to even reach the playoffs.
“I have pure clarity of the teams that will be in the top three. Four, five, and six is going to be a race, and LSG is not even in that four, five, or six, in my view. They will fall out of the six,” Ashwin said.
LSG will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against the Delhi Capitals on April 1 at Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
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