Mumbai Indians (MI) coach Mark Boucher has opined that the young left-arm fast bowler, Arjun Tendulkar, who is coming off an injury, will be assessed during a practice match on Wednesday and hopes he will be available for selection. Arjun, who is the son of legendary cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar, was bought by the franchise before the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

During a press conference in Mumbai, Mark Boucher said, “Arjun is coming off an injury. We will assess him tonight and it will be good if he is available for selection.” The captain of the franchise Rohit Sharma also attended the conference.

Arjun Tendulkar missed the tournament in 2021, however, due to injury. He did not feature in the side in the 2022 edition either even when there was an opportunity to play him after MI was eliminated from the playoff race. The franchise continuing to deny Arjun his debut had come under criticism last year.

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However, Mark Boucher gave a hint that the franchise intends to invest in the future. He said, “It’s now time for the youngsters to show up. There are (a few) places for juniors to come in. The IPL is a massive event and it’s a massive opportunity for young boys to show up.”

Arjun had played only seven first-class, seven List A, and nine T20 matches in his career so far. He has scalped 32 wickets and scored 268 runs in total. Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach Shane Bond had said last year that Arjun still had plenty of work to do to earn his place into MI’s playing XI.

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During a chat with Sportskeeda, Shane Bond said, “He’s got some work to go. When you’re playing for a team like Mumbai, making the squad is one thing but entering the playing XI is another. When you play at this level, there’s a fine line between giving everyone a game… but you have to earn your spot too. Arjun needs to work on his batting and fielding before finding a place on the team. Hopefully, he can make those progressions and earn a spot in the team.”