NEW DELHI: Former India cricketer Yograj Singh has surprised fans with his comments about Arjun Tendulkar, the son of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Yograj believes that Arjun is actually a better batter than people think, but coaches have mostly focused only on his bowling.
Speaking to Ravish Bisht on YouTube, he questioned why coaches were not paying attention to Arjun’s batting.
He said, “You are focusing only on his bowling. What are you doing? What has happened? There are so many coaches, what are they doing? He is basically a batter. When he came to me, he was there for around 12-13 days.
“I welcomed him. They told me to take care of him, and I told them not to worry. One day, he was hit by a ball, and we took him to a doctor, and he was fine. So, I told him to put on his pads instead to do some batting."
Yograj revealed that Arjun himself felt his batting was being ignored.
He added, “He told me that they don’t focus on his batting. So, I said that we would see because I hadn’t seen him bat before. In the nets, he was hitting boundaries everywhere, 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."
Arjun Tendulkar is often seen as a bowling all-rounder in domestic cricket.
However, his batting numbers so far have not been very impressive. He averages 21.37 in first-class cricket, 18.25 in List A matches, and 13.5 in T20s.
Still, he has shown promise with the bat.
He scored a century on his Ranji Trophy debut against Rajasthan in 2022 while batting at number seven. He also has two half-centuries in red-ball cricket.
Recently, Arjun has been given more responsibility with the bat while playing for Goa.
He has been asked to open the innings in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
In Goa’s latest List A match against Mumbai, Arjun opened the innings and scored 24 runs off 27 balls before getting out to Shardul Thakur. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scored only 70 runs in five innings, with an average of 14, which was disappointing.
Yograj Singh, the former India cricketer and father of Yuvraj Singh, has recently made headlines with a strong endorsement of Arjun Tendulkar’s batting abilities.
Here is a breakdown of Yograj Singh’s claims and Arjun's current standing in domestic cricket:
Yograj Singh’s Bold Claims
"He Bats Like His Father": Speaking on a YouTube channel in early 2026, Yograj mentioned that while training Arjun for about 12 days, he was stunned by the youngster's ability to hit boundaries at will.
3 He stated, "He is a batsman of great quality.4 He bats like his father used to."Criticism of Coaches: Yograj expressed frustration that coaches have pigeonholed Arjun as a bowler.
5 He questioned why Arjun wasn't given more opportunities to bat, claiming he once told an IPL coach (likely referring to his time at Mumbai Indians) to let Arjun open the innings for a few matches.6 The "Chris Gayle" Comparison: In a separate interview, Yograj even went as far as to say that if Arjun trained under Yuvraj Singh for three months, he could become the "next Chris Gayle," highlighting his potential as a power-hitter.
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Arjun Tendulkar’s Recent Career Shift
While primarily known as a left-arm pacer, Arjun has recently started taking on more responsibility with the bat in the 2024–25 and 2025–26 domestic seasons:
Opening the Innings: Playing for Goa, Arjun has been tested as an opening batsman in both the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20) and the Vijay Hazare Trophy (List A).
9 IPL Trade: Ahead of the IPL 2026 season, Arjun was traded from Mumbai Indians to the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
10 This move is seen as a "fresh start" where he might get more opportunities to showcase his all-round skills.11 Domestic Milestone: Arjun famously emulated his father by scoring a century on his Ranji Trophy debut (120 against Rajasthan in 2022).
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Current Statistics (as of early 2026)
Despite Yograj's high praise, Arjun's professional numbers suggest he is still finding consistency in his new role:
| Format | Matches | Batting Avg | Bowling Avg | Highlights |
| First-Class | 22 | ~21.37 | ~37.91 | 1 Century, 2 Fifties; 5-wicket haul vs Arunachal |
| List A | 20 | ~17.16 | ~33.64 | Opened the innings for Goa in 2025 |
| T20s | 29 | ~13.50 | ~22.97 | Traded to LSG for IPL 2026 |
The Verdict
Yograj Singh’s comments have reignited the debate over Arjun's "true" role. While the statistics show he is currently a bowling all-rounder, his Ranji century and the recent move by Goa to let him open suggest that there is untapped batting potential. Whether he can live up to the "Sachin-like" comparison remains to be seen during his upcoming stint with Lucknow Super Giants.
Would you like me to look up Arjun Tendulkar's specific match performances from the most recent domestic season?
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