Talent or Nepotism? Twitter divided over Arjun Tendulkar's India U-19 team selection
Mumbai: Arjun Tendulkar, son of Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar, was on Thursday named in an Under-19 squad for two four-day matches in Sri Lanka. And his selection in the national squad sparked many surprises, with opinions divided in favour of his selection and against.
Arjun, 18, was picked as part of a 15-member squad by the country's junior selection committee, according to a press release by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
An all-rounder who bowls and bats left-handed, Arjun has been playing junior cricket for Mumbai.
Standing at over six feet, the left-arm quick bowler has claimed 18 wickets from five domestic matches at the U-19 level including a five-wicket haul.
Ever since Sachin has hung up his boots from the game, the spotlight has fallen on his son Arjun who has impressed with some eye-catching performances at the domestic level. While many backed Arjun to carry on his father’s footsteps as he takes his initial steps towards the Indian team, others high lightened the issue of nepotism once again.
Arjun Tendulkar is all set to play Under-19 cricket for India. Interestingly, his father, Sachin Tendulkar never played any age group cricket for India!
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) June 8, 2018
At 16 he was already a Test player!😊
Congrats to #ArjunTendulkar & his proud parents for Arjun's selection in the Indian Under-19 squad for the two four-day matches in SL. Arjun,a left-arm seamer, was a part of the Mumbai Under-19 squad last year in the Cooch Behar Trophy where he impressed with 18 wickets. ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘
— Totlani Krishan (@kktotlani) June 8, 2018
Thank God Arjun Tendulkar is primarily a fast bowler. He still will be under scrutiny of course, but imagine if he were a batting talent instead.
— Naomi Datta (@nowme_datta) June 8, 2018
Okay! He has had a simpler journey as the son of @sachin_rt! But before criticising him and writing him off.. let's give him a chance! Never know..he might surprise y'all! #ArjunTendulkar
— yash (@bardia_yash) June 8, 2018
IMO, The greatest challenge #ArjunTendulkar will face will not be from opponents.
— लाट साहेब !!! (@1am1n) June 8, 2018
He will always be compared to his father @sachin_rt from the very first match.
Every judging fans won't give even a match/series to settle down.
Is there anyone else who feels for this young lad #ArjunTendulkar ? He is born with immense pressure of name and no matter how good he will ever play, he shall forever be compared with the God himself @sachin_rt
— Shruti (@vyasshruti) June 8, 2018
Seriously why so much negativity around his selection ? If he doesn't deserve to be there , he will get dropped just like other players ( son of) famous cricketers.#ArjunTendulkar pic.twitter.com/9fP2SKGPtV
— Prashant Pareek (@prashan23S) June 7, 2018
I bet those who are saying Arjun is selected due to nepotism don't know how he performed . If nepotism works he would be the captain of U19 till now and would have played IPL . Don't compare him with Sachin. He is simply the greatest ever 🙠#ArjunTendulkar #SachinTendulkar
— Tarun (@Pralaynaath) June 7, 2018
I wonder if the nepotism debate will crop up in Indian Cricket now that Arjun Tendulkar has been selected to play in the national junior side. This, is a national sports team - while films are a private enterprise. More scope for scrutiny over here.
— Shivom Oza (@shivom_oza) June 8, 2018
Everyone will say it is nepotism
— Durgesh Pandey (@imdurgeshpandey) June 8, 2018
But no one will say he took 18 wickets in his last 9 matches#ArjunTendulkar pic.twitter.com/J3adIrpTzR
Steve Waugh's son made it to Australia's U19 team. Ntini's son got selected to play for SA U19. Cricket fans over there never criticised that. Only in India, we have nepotism charges when a former cricketer's son gets selected. Go get a life guys.
— Vignesh A P (@respondvignesh) June 7, 2018
#ArjunTendulkar
while playing under Mumbai cricket association in last season Arjun Tendulkar got 14 wickets where 5 in one game in 4 in two others. So stop criticizing his selection in under 19 just bcoz he has the surname Tendulkar.#ArjunTendulkar #SachinTendulkar
— Priyanka Digraskar (@Ipriyanka_D) June 7, 2018
Imagine being hated just because your father is successful.
— akira chhetri| à°…à°•à°¿à°°à°¾ (@akira_cricket) June 7, 2018
poor lad Arjun tendulkar
A left arm seam bowling all rounder, a rare species in India.
having decent stats in domestic cricket and still people thinks your selection is unfair. #ArjunTendulkar
#ArjunTendulkar is an average bowler. He runs, and delivers the ball with a weird action. Thanks to his father's recommendations, he is now part of the U-19 squad- and hundreds of more talented bowlers get ignored.
— Ganeshan Iyer (@ganeshan_iyer) June 7, 2018
Remember, there was someone called Rohan Gavaskar.
Am sure most of the trolls who think #ArjunTendulkar got into the team because of Sachin doesn't know if he is a batsman or a bowler and if he bats/bowls right or left. 😀
— Prabhu ðŸ (@Cricprabhu) June 8, 2018
They have selected Arjun Tendulkar on the basis of quality of genes so that if he plays well, they can later claim that the study of genetics was first done in ancient India. #ArjunTendulkar
— Ovais Wani (@Ovais_) June 8, 2018
He came under the international spotlight when he bowled in the nets in the lead-up to the Lord's Test between England and South Africa in 2017.
Arjun was however overlooked for the five one-dayers which the juniors will play during the July 11-August 11 tour after the four-day games.
Sachin, revered in cricket-mad India, also began his career with Mumbai's junior team before being picked for the senior side at the age of 15.
He scored an unbeaten century on his debut in the Ranji Trophy, Indian cricket's inter-state championship.
He won his first cap for India a year later before going on to become the highest scorer in the history of Test cricket as well as the first player to score 100 international centuries. He retired in 2013.
