Arjun Tendulkar selected in Mumbai U-19 squad

Arjun Tendulkar, son of Sachin Tendulkar, has been selected for the Mumbai Under-19 one-day side for the JY Lele invitational tournament to be played in Baroda from September 16 to 23. Arjun, who has also represented Mumbai in Under-16 cricket in 2015-16, will turn 18 on September 24. Although not a BCCI tournament, the team will represent the Mumbai Cricket Association, which could be a step closer to selection for official U-19 cricket, reports espncricinfo.

Left-arm quick Arjun Tendulkar - Sachin's son - moves a step closer towards professional crickethttps://t.co/gVI5MqXWAD

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 11, 2017

A left-arm quick, Arjun recently bowled in the nets in the lead-up to the Lord's Test between England and South Africa, sending Jonny Bairstow off with an injury scare when he hit him on the toe with a yorker. He has also bowled in India nets previously.

Arjun Tendulkar selected in Mumbai’s under-19 squad https://t.co/zHlxK80WkS pic.twitter.com/KbQimfDVRb

— DNA (@dna) September 10, 2017

A day after his selection on Saturday, Arjun played an important part in helping Parel CC draw their Kanga League B division match at Shivaji Park. He batted an hour for 15 runs, and returned figures of 1 for 14 in five overs. One of the opposition batsmen was former Mumbai wicketkeeper-batsman and coach Sulakshan Kulkarni. "I faced Arjun, and it seems he is an aggressive bowler," Kulkarni told Mid-Day."The more he bowls the better he will get."

#ArjunTendulkar gets selected in Mumbai U-19 squad#middaySports https://t.co/wV1QXAg7tA

— mid-day (@mid_day) September 12, 2017

Arjun's father, Sachin Tendulkar has in the past asked to spare his son any comparisons. "I am not interfering in his career because I think it is not fair," Sachin told Economic Times in April 2016. "He has to have freedom to express himself. I can guide him. Not on a regular basis, but when I feel that he needs to be told something, then I do. I don't take his class every evening when he comes back home. I do not want to lecture, but let him enjoy the game and fall in love with cricket, which he is (doing). I have told him things about hard work like any father would."Unfortunately, he has the excess baggage of his surname and I know that is going to be there. It is not easy for him. For me, it was different as my father was a writer and nobody questioned me on cricket. I feel that my son should not be compared to me and should be judged for who he is."