If Arjun Tendulkar can become 50 percent of his father, there is nothing better, reckons Kapil Dev
India’s 1983 World Cup-winning skipper Kapil Dev has urged fans to stop putting pressure on Sachin Tendulkar’s son, Arjun. Kapil has also opined if Arjun manages to achieve 50 per cent of what his father had achieved, it would be enough for him to complete a successful career in cricket.
Arjun Tendulkar played two T20s for Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy last year before he was brought back by Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of IPL 2022. However, Arjun, the only son of Sachin Tendulkar, did not get a single chance to represent the five-time champions in the cash-rich league. The debate, which compares him to his father, has often been talked about by many.
India’s iconic captain Kapil Dev, who led India to win the 1983 World Cup, has come up with his opinion about Arjun. Kapil has urged Indians to stop putting pressure on Arjun, who is still a 22-year-old, to get the best out of him. Kapil also believes that if Arjun manages to achieve at least half of what his father had achieved during his playing career, it would be more than enough.
“Why is everyone talking about him? Because he is Sachin Tendulkar's son. Let him play his own cricket and do not compare him with Sachin. To have a Tendulkar name has perks and disadvantages as well,” Kapil told Uncut.
"Don't put pressure on Arjun. He is a young boy. Who are we to say anything to him when he has the great Sachin as his father? But I would still just like to tell him one thing Go and enjoy yourself. No need to prove anything. If you can become even 50 percent like your father there is nothing better. When the name Tendulkar comes up, our expectations rise because Sachin was such a great.”
Further, Kapil gave the best example of why it should not be done by the fans by saying, “Don Bradman's son changed his name because he could not soak up that kind of pressure. He removed the surname Bradman because everyone expected him to turn out like his father.”
In those two T20 games, Arjun claimed two wickets at an economy rate of 9.57.