Kamal Ghorui
Arjun Tendulkar is preparing for a new chapter in his IPL career after moving to Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the 2026 season. After playing just five matches across five seasons with Mumbai Indians, the left-arm pacer was traded to LSG for ₹30 lakh prior to the mini-auction held in Abu Dhabi last December.In a video shared by LSG, where Pant and Arjun are seen talking, Pant struck up a conversation about Arjun’s batting approach. Curious about his preference for heavier bats, Pant asked, “Tera kitna hae bhai (What’s the weight of your bat)?”“1220,” Arjun replied. Pant followed up, “Bhaari se kya faida hae (What’s the advantage of using heavier bats)?”Arjun explained, “Touch karo ho jaata hae. Papa to 1310-1315 mein khelte the. 1200 se halka jaata nehi hoon main (Just a touch does it. My father used to play with bats weighing 1310-1315. I don’t go below 1200).”The reference, of course, was to his father, Sachin Tendulkar, who famously used heavier bats during his career.Pant was equally impressed by Arjun’s work ethic, especially after learning that he had trained with Yuvraj Singh immediately after his wedding. Arjun tied the knot with Saaniya Chandhok on March 5 in Mumbai but wasted no time getting back to cricket.“You were also practising with Yuvi paa… full-time? Shadi ke agle din hi? You are so enthu bhai,” Pant remarked in admiration.While images of those sessions did not surface publicly, it is understood that Yuvraj worked closely with Arjun on his batting. The interaction ended on a warm note, with Pant offering his support: “Agar kuch lage to batana… Always open for you.”Arjun’s IPL journey began in 2021 when he was picked by Mumbai Indians for ₹20 lakh, though he did not feature that season due to injury. He was bought again in 2022 for ₹30 lakh but remained on the sidelines. His debut finally came in 2023 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium, where he played four matches and picked up three wickets. In 2024, he featured in just one game, coincidentally against LSG, but went wicketless.
