Playing in his second match of Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL 2023) against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Arjun Tendulkar finally picked his maiden wicket in the tournament. In his debut game vs Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Tendulkar jr. had bowled only 2 overs, giving away 17 runs. Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit Sharma backed the left-arm pacer and picked him for his second successive match in IPL. He replied briliantly to the challenge, defending 20 off the last over as well as picking up his first wicket of the league. The wicket came in form of Bhuvneshwar Kumar that sealed the deal for MI as they registred their third consecutive win of the season.
Also Read | WATCH: Arjun Tendulkar Abuses Cameraman During Sunriser Hyderabad Vs Mumbai Indians IPL 2023 Match, Video Goes Viral
Arjun mocked for his bowling speed
Arjun, 23, faced brutal trolling for his bowling speed in the match vs SRH. One of the deliveries he bowled was a mere 107.2 kph. That was a slower ball from Arjun but many on social media failed to understand how variations in pace help bowlers pick wickets or at least stop batters from going big. When a fast bowler cuts down on the pace, he or she attempts to trick the batter to play the shot a second or two early, which mostly leads to their fall or a dot.
Not to forget, Arjun also pays the price of having the Tendulkar surname. He is son of the great Sachin Tendulkar and social media scrutinises his performance. One bad step, and you are roasted on Twitter.
Here's how Arjun was trolled on social media for his bowling speed
Check out reactions from Netizens as they did not show any mercy on Arjun Tendulkar in the match vs SRH:
In a country of more than 1.4 billion people we are witnessing a 23 years old fast bowler who is constantly hitting the speed of less than 130KPH, that's the standard of bowling in Indian Premier League. #IPL2023 #IPL23 #JioCinema #ArjunTendulkar pic.twitter.com/SiHlOn9qmh
— Kartik Wamdev (@kartikwamdev) April 18, 2023
#ArjunTendulkar
Run-up Bowling speed pic.twitter.com/pUBFJcJfnb— Nationfirst (@Loyal4720) April 19, 2023
Why so much buttering for Arjun Tendulkar's below average bowling by commentators?
Pathetic bowling speed and bowling action #MIvsSRH #SRHvsMI #IPL23MI please priorities #talent over #nepotism
— Aadarsh Choudhary (@aadarshnain) April 18, 2023
Despite being a spinner, Shahid Afridi used to bowl faster than Arjun Tendulkar. #SRHvsMI pic.twitter.com/tJHQWvjtGj
— D_V CG07 (@MurgaBiryanii) April 18, 2023
Some fans also praised Arjun; check their reactions:
Arjun Tendulkar needs to work on his bowling action to increase his speed other than that he is doing good as of now. __#MIvsSRH #MIvSRH #IPL23 #SRHvsMI #SRHvMi #IPL2023 #TATAIPL
— Parveen Yadav ______ (@ImParveen4K1) April 18, 2023
Arjun Tendulkar First wicket celebration after helping Mumbai Indians winning the match by 14 runs. His bowling speed gathering reactions from fans but future will tell us more. Venkatesh Prasad was also a slow pacer but with top class line and length #arjuntendulkar #SRHvsMI pic.twitter.com/oCJUj2Uyn3
— Vikram Rajput (@iVikramRajput) April 18, 2023
Sachin on Arjun's first wicket in IPL
Sachin was a proud father when his son defended the 20 runs needed off the last 6 balls. He tweeted: "A superb all-round performance by Mumbai Indians once again. Cameron Green impressed with both bat & ball. Ishan & Tilak's batting is as good as it gets! The IPL is getting more interesting every day. Great going boys! And finally a Tendulkar has an IPL wicket!"
Speaking on picking is first IPL wicket, Arjun said that he talked about the plans with dad Sachin before the game and that really helped him in his performance. "We (Sachin Tendulkar and him) talk about cricket, we discuss tactics before the game and he tells me to back what I practise every game. I just focused on my release, bowling good lengths and lines upfront. If it swings, it's a bonus, if it doesn't, so be it," said Arjun.
