Yuvraj Singh’s Father Wants Arjun Tendulkar to Focus on Batting Instead of Bowling: “He Bats Like Sachin”

Arjun Tendulkar faced challenges establishing his own identity while competing across all three formats for Mumbai's domestic side until 2022.

Yuvraj Singh’s Father Wants Arjun Tendulkar to Focus on Batting Instead of Bowling: “He Bats Like Sachin”

Yograj Singh urged Arjun Tendulkar to focus on his batting abilities. (via NDTV Sports)

Yograj Singh, father of the legendary all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, is well noted for making unexpected and contentious remarks. His latest surprise came when he emphatically stated that Arjun Tendulkar ought to concentrate entirely on his batting rather than his bowling.

Being the son of one of the greatest batters of all time, Sachin Tendulkar, Arjun Tendulkar has inevitably been forced to carry the immense weight of high expectations. The 26-year-old’s career began with a high-profile start, debuting in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Mumbai in 2021 and subsequently being bought by the Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2021 IPL season, the same team his father played for.

Tendulkar Jr. played for MI from 2021 to 2025, but could only manage five appearances. He has now been traded to the Lucknow Super Giants for the 2026 season, a move that could maximize his potential both as a pacer and a newly developing batter. Although the 26-year-old is primarily a bowling all-rounder, former Indian cricketer Yograj Singh publicly suggested that Arjun Tendulkar should instead concentrate on his batting.

Singh questioned why coaches were not paying attention to Arjun Tendulkar’s batting, asserting his surprising but firm conviction that the left-hander possesses batting abilities similar to his father’s. Yograj Singh, the father of 2011 World Cup winner Yuvraj Singh, shared how he observed Arjun’s abilities with the bat when he was just 12 or 13 years old, and was captivated by his ability to hit massive boundaries.

You are focusing only on his [Arjun Tendulkar] bowling. What are you doing? What has happened? There are so many coaches, what are they doing? – Yograj Singh on Ravish Bisht’s YouTube channel

Yograj Singh also revealed that Arjun Tendulkar himself feels at times that his batting is being ignored by the coaches. After quitting Mumbai in 2022 following a lengthy and unsuccessful stint, Tendulkar decided to switch allegiance to Goa, aiming to revitalize his career.

In the ongoing domestic season, the 26-year-old was asked to open the batting for Goa in the SMAT and the VHT, but has struggled, scoring only 114 runs across eight matches at an average well below 20.

In the nets, he [Arjun Tendulkar] was hitting boundaries, and then I questioned his coach as to why he wasn’t given batting. I also told him that he is a batter of a great quality, he was batting as his father used to.

It remains to be seen whether Arjun Tendulkar manages to come close to his father’s legacy, given he averages just 21.37 in first-class, 18.25 in List-A, and 13.5 in T20s, with the bat. He, however, did score a century on his Ranji Trophy debut against Rajasthan in 2022. 

Arjun Tendulkar’s most recent outing as an opener in the Vijay Hazare Trophy sparks intrigue

Arjun Tendulkar has been moved up to open the batting for Goa in both the ongoing 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy and the recently concluded, 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. His stroke-playing abilities suggest that the all-rounder, who has remained under the shadow of his father, has more to provide. 

Arjun Tendulkar Vijay Hazare Trophy
Arjun Tendulkar has opened the innings for Goa this season, in the SMAT and the VHT. (via Indian Express)

The young left-hander only managed to score 70 runs in five innings in the SMAT, at an average of 14 and a strike-rate of just 120.69. Although he was effective as a bowler, taking eight wickets in five games with an economy rate of just 7.78, Arjun Tendulkar’s low scoring ultimately led to him being left out of the playing XI for the team’s final two group stage matches of the 2025 season.

Despite the underwhelming start, Tendulkar has been entrusted with the same responsibility in the VHT. After scores of only 1 and 19 in the first two games, he showed a different side against his former team, Mumbai, in a massive 445-run chase. Partnering with Kashyap Bakhale to open the batting, the 26-year-old struck five boundaries in a brief but fluent inning, demonstrating his potential to play classical shots.

Although Goa ultimately lost the match by 87 runs, they mounted a significant challenge, posting a strong total of 357/9. Key contributions came from Abhinav Tejrana, who hit a brilliant century, skipper Deepraj Gaonkar, who made 70 runs off 28 balls, and Lalit Yadav, who scored 64 off 66.

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