20 April,2023 08:42 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Arjun Tendulkar, Brett Lee (Pic: AFP)
Arjun Tendulkar stole the limelight after bowling a brilliant 20th over under extreme pressure as Mumbai Indians (MI) trounced Sunrisers Hyderabad by 14 runs to register their third successive win at Uppal in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Playing only his second IPL game, Arjun bowled two overs with the new ball before returning to deliver when it most mattered as captain Rohit Sharma handed over the ball to son of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Wiser beyond his years, a calm Arjun chose to bowl full and wide and did not let down his father, who appeared strung out sitting in the MI dugout. From debuting against Kolkata Knight Riders to dismissing Bhuvneshwar Kumar to get off the mark in the wicket tally, it was been quite the adventure for the youngster in his young two-match old IPL career.
While everyone has begun regarding Arjun as an expert exponent of the art of death bowling, his exceptional yorker-delivering capacity left a mark on veteran fast-bowler Brett Lee. In a video shared by Tilak Varma, Lee called Arjun 'yorker king' of the team, while adding that the manner in which he held himself together in the tense final over gives enough proof for his talent.
"He handled the pressure beautifully. To give away just 4-5 runs in that last over, getting his first wicket in IPL. Congratulations to him but I had said prior to that happening, no matter what happened at the end, that experience of him bowling in the death - I'm hoping it's a positive one - would just take his game from strength to strength," Lee said on Jio Cinema after the match.
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Arjun showcased tremendous grit and determination by returning figures of 1-18 in 2.5 overs, including a maiden over with the scalp of Bhuvneshwar. The franchise on Sunday handed a debut to Arjun as stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and elected to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders. Though he failed to scalp a wicket, he delivered when it mattered most yielding only 17 runs in 2 overs.
"He tried to nail that wide-line yorker and he did it very well. It's hard coming in, playing only his 2nd match, he was under pressure with the whole team relying on him, he honed himself impeccably, he spoke well and his game is only going to improve," added Lee.