Arjun Tendulkar's Coach Atul Gaikwad Expects Former to Come Good in Sri Lanka

The surname of Tendulkar is surely one of the biggest in the cricketing world. However this time we will see the emergence of Junior in the form of Arjun Tendulkar, who is the one and only son of legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.

Arjun, the 18-year-old bowling all-rounder has been picked in the Indian Under-19 side for their tour of Sri Lanka slated to begin next month.

Moreover, the tour will be comprised of four-day games and five One-day Internationals. Arjun although has been selected for only the four-day format.

The left-arm fast bowler Arjun is also a useful lower middle-order batsman. In the five U-19 domestic matches, Arjun has played so far, he has bagged 18 wickets including a five-wicket haul.

Arjun is coached by Atul Gaikwad. He spoke to Times of India following his disciple’s selection. The coach looked ecstatic after the news broke out.

Gaikwad reiterated that the hard work of the young boy has paid off. He also revealed how Arjun fought through injuries and broke into the Junior national team for the first time in his career.

“I’ve seen that boy very closely. From suffering back-to-back stress fractures three years ago to struggling with a spate of injuries, he has worked very hard to get here. On a good day, he can consistently touch 135 (kph),” Gaikwad told TOI.

Gaikwad is a level three coach from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. He was roped in by Sachin three years ago to nurse his son.

Interestingly, Gaikwad has a Ph.D. in biomechanics. It is not only Arjun but Gaikwad has previously worked extensively with former Indian women’s team skipper Mithali Raj.

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So, there is no doubt about the fact that Arjun will carry a huge burden on his shoulders. He is aware of the fact that his performances will be judged quite more than his other teammates as he is the son of none other than Sachin – a veteran of the game.

The burden of the surname will always be there as Arjun looks to shape his career in the correct path.

Gaikwad expects Arjun to handle the pressure well:

“I expect him to handle it well. Personally, I’ve never seen him take advantage of his father’s name. For instance, never did he expect his coaches to give him any special attention because he is Sachin’s son nor has he ever made noise about it. I only hope people don’t jump the gun and start talking trash about why he’s here and whose son he is. Watch his cricket and see for yourself,” Gaikwad signed off.

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