Sachin Tendulkar wants Arjun to brush aside father-son comparisons and focus on own game

When Sachin Tendulkar played for India, he carried the weight of the entire nation on his shoulders. Despite the immense pressure, Tendulkar hardly fluttered and ended up breaking quite a few cricketing records. Eighteen-year-old Arjun Tendulkar is now following his father’s footsteps, working hard to become a successful cricketer. Arjun has been honing his skills as a fast-bowling all-rounder and recently hogged the limelight in Australia with a 24-ball 48 and four wickets in a competitive match at the Bradman Oval.

Naturally, the cricket fans in India and all over the world are excited to see Arjun working his way up and as a result, comparisons with his legendary father has started to furnish. Talking to the Times of India in Greater Noida on the sidelines of the Auto Expo, Tendulkar spoke  about Arjun rising through the ranks and dealing with the pressure of being the son of a legendary cricketer. “Those things are there but his focus should be on the game and on his passion. That is what as a parent I would want. Comparisons would happen; if they want to do it, they will. But what I’ve learned from my father is that whatever work you’ve gone to do, keep your focus on that. Rest of the things will continue to happen,” Tendulkar said.

On being questioned if Arjun could be the next Sachin, he said, “No, he should be ‘Arjun’. He should be Arjun. There shouldn’t be any comparison,” he said.

While Arjun is creating ripples in the junior circuit, he must be well aware of the fact that there’s heavy competition when it comes to pursuing cricket ambitions in India. However, Arjun also represents Mumbai – the nursery of Indian cricket – where there is a dog-eat-dog competition for a spot in the senior team.

Tendulkar would hope that Arjun will continue to do all hard work and make a name for himself in the future.