Hyderabad, Apr 19: Arjun Tendulkar’s outstanding last-over spell sealed the win for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad by 14 wickets in Indian Premier League on Tuesday. After bowling the tense last over and taking his maiden wicket in IPL, Arjun revealed that he discusses tactics before every game with his father Sachin Tendulkar, who tells him to back what he practices.
“We talk about cricket, we discuss tactics before the game and he (Sachin Tendulkar) tells me to back what I practise every game,” Arjun said in a post-match presentation. The 23-year-old took his maiden wicket in IPL against SRH in the last over, dismissing Bhuvneshwar Kumar and bundling out the whole SRH in 19.5 overs. Arjun had bowled his two overs at the start of the innings but when MI’s skipper Rohit Sharma was left out with options, he gave the responsibility to defend 20 runs in the final over to Arjun. Arjun only conceded 6 runs and took his first and last wicket of SRH.
Arjun said that he stuck to the plan and bowled how his captain asked him to deliver.
“Obviously it was great getting my first IPL wicket. I just had to focus on what was in hand, the plan and executing it. Our plan was just to bowl wide and get the long boundary into play, make the batsman hit it to the longer side. I love bowling, I am happy to bowl anytime the captain asks me to and just stick to the team plan and give my best,” Arjun added.
“I just focused on my release, bowling good lengths and lines up front. If it swings, it’s a bonus, if it doesn’t, so be it.” Arjun concluded.
Put to bat first by SRH, MI posted a total of 192/5 in their 20 overs. Openers Ishan Kishan (38 off 31 balls, with three fours and two sixes) and skipper Rohit Sharma (28 off 18 balls with six fours) gave MI a flying start once again with a quickfire 41-run stand. Following the dismissal of openers and Suryakumar Yadav (7), Cameron Green and Tilak Verma stitched a 56-run stand for the fourth wicket.
