Daijiworld Media Network
Mumbai, Jan 10 : Nothing is impossible for the GOD of cricket, his records and achievement could well be in history books for many years to come, as no current cricketer is even near to breaking his records.
Though he has announced his retirement from the shorter form of international cricket, Sachin Tendulkar is still active and a strong probable for test cricket. As of now, he has no plans of retiring from Test cricket.
Now his son, 13-plus, is steadily following in the footsteps of his father and coming up in the game of cricket. And it is not because of father's blessing but on the strength of his own achievements.
The latest news is that Arjun Tendulkar has been selected to represent Mumbai team in under-14 West Zone league matches to be played from January 20 to February 1 at Ahmedabad.
He has earned his place in the squad through his hard work. During mid-2012 he scored his first century and made it to the under-14 probables for the off season training camp by Mumbai Cricket Association.
Arjun, who is a left-hander unlike his father, had made his debut at the national level in January 2011 in the Cadence Trophy in Pune. He has been in the news since then. In the same tournament this year, he made 65 off 39 balls against PCMC Varroc Vengsarkar CA.
Arjun, who also bowls left-arm pace, impressed everyone with his bowling prowess when he finished with figures of eight for 22 that helped Dhirubhai Ambani International School beat Jamnabai Narsee School in November 2011.
Born on September 24, 1999, Arjun is often seen at stadiums watching his father play and enthusiastically cheering for him.
Considering the quick steps he is taking in the game of cricket, one just wonders whether the father and son duo may play international cricket together. If Tendulkar can carry on playing test cricket for the next one or two years, it could well become a possibility.
In Indian cricket history only one pair of father - son duo has played first class cricket together - Lala Amarnath and Surinder Amarnath. With the Sino-Indian War raging along the border, five Defence Fund Matches were organised showcasing the brightest cricketing talent of India. In the fourth of these games, Maharashtra Chief Minister’s XI took on Maharashtra Governor’s XI at Poona. Fifty-two-year-old Lala Amarnath played for the Governor’s XI while 15-year old Surinder Amarnath turned out for the opposition. Both father and son managed an attractive forty-plus innings apiece.
In the most recent instance in world circket, in September 2012, Shivnarine Chanderpaul put on 256 runs with son Tagenarine for Gandhi Youth Organisation against Transport Sports Club in a 40-over match held at the Unity Ground, East Coast Demerara. Father amassed 143 and son 112. Their team emerged triumphant by 125 runs.
Will Junior Tendulkar carry forward the legacy of his father? Let's wait and see.