Arjun Tendulkar had to wait until the last league match before Lucknow Super Giants handed him his first game in IPL 2026 against Punjab Kings on Saturday. Arjun finished with figures of 1 for 36, which impressed his father Sachin Tendulkar, who took to the social media and posted an emotional post for his son.
It was not an IPL debut for Arjun, who was earlier with Mumbai Indians between 2022 and 2025, and had featured in five matches for the Mumbai franchise. With LSG already eliminated from the playoff race a week earlier, they decided to hand Arjun a game in their last league game of the season at home.
This was Sachin’s first post commenting on his son’s cricketing career since 2023, the year Arjun made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians.
“Well done, Arjun. Proud of the way you’ve carried yourself through this season, always believing in your ability, staying patient, working hard quietly, and remaining positive despite having to wait for your opportunity till the very last match. Cricket tests patience as much as skill, and you handled both beautifully today. Keep your feet on the ground, and continue being in love with the game like you always have. Love you always,” Sachin wrote on X.
Coming to the match on Saturday, the left-arm pacer was brought into the attack right after the powerplay by captain Rishabh Pant, and he made an immediate impact. Arjun troubled Prabhsimran Singh with a sharp bouncer that forced a top edge, but the Pant dropped the catch. Despite the missed chance, Arjun stayed calm and gave away only four runs in the over.
However, Prabhsimran and Shreyas Iyer went after him in his next over, scoring 15 runs with the help of two boundaries and a six.
Arjun came back to bowl in the 15th over, with both batters already past their fifties and Punjab Kings comfortably chasing the target. Shreyas started the over with back-to-back boundaries, but Arjun hit back strongly by bowling a brilliant yorker that trapped Prabhsimran plumb in front of the wicket.
He also bowled well in his final over, giving away just five runs and ending with figures of 1 for 36. LSG lost the match and finished their season at the bottom of the table after suffering their 10th defeat of the campaign.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh, who were his father’s India team-mates, were impressed by Arjun’s performance in the match.
Ashwin had earlier said that it would be difficult for Arjun to find a game for LSG with that bowling depth. The former India spinner was impressed how he tested Prabhsimran Singh by bowling bouncers and also induced an edge, which Rishabh Pant dropped behind the wickets.
“I won’t talk about his skill. But his journey is not easy because he will always be compared to his father. However, I will say two things about him — he is extremely hard-working and does not back down from a contest. After bowling, he gives you a stare. Even if you hit him for a four or six, he comes back harder. Those are two qualities you have to give the kid credit for,” Ashwin was quoted saying on his YouTube channel.
“That yorker actually reversed. I also saw videos on social media of him practising yorkers extensively. But the one thing that truly impressed me was the bodyline bouncer to Prabhsimran. That is never easy for a batter. There was a top edge and Pant could not hold on to the catch, but Arjun identified the weakness, executed the plan and then nailed the yorker as well. For someone playing his first game of the season, that was very impressive,” he added.
“Great to see #ArjunTendulkar get a game, strike a critical wicket and bowl really well!” Yuvraj wrote on X.
Arjun’s sister, Sara Tendulkar, also shared an emotional message, praising his patience and ability to handle pressure.
“You deserve the world, my little brother. So, so, so proud of your hard work, your ability to handle pressure, and your patience through it all. Love you forever and always (and some more),” she wrote on Instagram.
