Arjun Tendulkar hits century at Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana

Mumbai, Nov 25: Inspired by playing on the ground named after his legendary father, Arjun Tendulkar smashed a century on Tuesday (November 24) in Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) Under-16 Payyade Trophy match.

Arjun gets Brian Lara's wicket

At the Sachin Tendulkar Gymkhana, Tendulkar Junior scored 106 off 156 balls with the help of 16 fours and 2 sixes. His team reached 218 thanks to Arjun's ton.

The left-handed Arjun, son of batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, was part of a side named after another Indian legend - Sunil Gavaskar XI. And he was playing against Rohit Sharma XI.

There are 4 teams in the tournament, the others being Sachin Tendulkar XI and Dilip Vengsarkar XI. The matches are being played as part of selection trials to pick Mumbai Under-16 team.

According to team's coach Vikas Satam, Arjun played his natural game.

"We didn't get a good start and we desperately were looking for someone to score. Arjun today played his natural game. He played his strokes nicely and never once let the pressure get to him.

"We kept losing wickets from one end but Arjun took up the responsibility and batted the team out of a hole. It was a chance-less innings and as this tournament is a selection trial, it must have boosted his confidence greatly," Satam was quoted as saying by "The Indian Express".

Last year, Arjun had blasted a for Dhirubhai Ambani International School in the Under-16 category of Smaaash Master Blaster School Cricket Championship in Mumbai.

In July this year, Arjun impressed England players as he bowled during a practice at Lord's ground during the Ashes series.

In 2013, Sachin had requested the media his son and said he would be a "protective father".

"Since I am here and the entire sports journalists' fraternity is sitting over here, I am going to be a protective father. When I started playing cricket, though my father was a professor and was in literary field, at no stage I had this pressure from anyone who said you are playing cricket but how about following your father's footsteps.

"At no stage of my life, there were comparisons. He (Arjun) started his career, so it is a humble request if he can live his life like a normal 14-year-old, without thinking about anything else except falling in love with this sport," Sachin had said.

OneIndia News