Cricketer-turned-commentator Simon Doull feels young Mumbai Indian pacer Arjun Tendulkar is not a death bowler and said that his strength lies inside the powerplay as he can swing the ball in the upfront of an inning. The 23-year-old bowled only two overs against Gujarat Titans conceding only nine runs and picking up an important wicket of Wriddhiman Saha.
Arjun Tendulkar has been a part of Mumbai Indians for the last couple of seasons but hasn’t gotten a chance to represent the franchise and has been given an opportunity in 2023 and has done reasonably well for the franchise so far.
Arjun, who has been bowling phenomenally well with the new ball, was not trusted to bowl in the death overs against Gujarat Titans despite Jason Behrendorff and Cameron Green being taken for cleaners by Gujarat Titans finishers. Speaking on Arjun Tendulkar’s performance, the former New Zealand pacer feels Rohit Sharma might know that he is not a proper death bowler and said that they use the power play and middle overs rather using the end overs.
“The last thing you want to do to a young man [Arjun Tendulkar] is throw him on the heap after one bad game because he has done a pretty good job. I don’t think in all honesty, and I think Rohit Sharma knows he is not a death bowler as of yet. He is not a guy they should be bowling in the last four or five. But he went to him to give him an opportunity and it cost them,” Simon Doull said.
In the game against Punjab Kings, Rohit Sharma bowled inexperienced Arjun Tendulkar in the 16th over in place of the veteran spinner Piyush Chawla which proved costly for the Mumbai Indians as he conceded 31 runs in that over.
The move shifted the momentum in favour of the Punjab Kings side as they scored 96 runs from the last five overs to post a mammoth total of 214-8 at the end of 20 overs.
Simon Doull believes Arjun Tendulkar is more of Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar kind of bowler who can bowl two to three overs in a trot in the powerplay for his team.
“I think he is more like Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar, who bowl two to three overs upfront where it swings a little bit, and then you forget about it.
Trent Boult( Rajasthan Royals) and Deepak Chahar (Chennai Super Kings) usually bowls with the new ball for their team and provide an important breakthrough in the powerplay for their respective franchise.
He Is Not Experienced Enough At The Moment – Simon Doull
Simon Doull reckons that young Arjun Tendulkar is not experienced to bowl under pressure in the backend of the innings for his team. In the match, against Sunrisers Hyderabad successfully defended 20 runs in the last over against Abdul Samad and Bhuvneshwar Kumar on the bigger stage.
“He is not experienced enough at the moment to be bowling at the back end of the innings,” Simon Doull added.
Mumbai Indians will look to turn things quickly as they faced back-to-back defeats against Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans and The five-time champions will take on Rajasthan Royals on April 30.