‘Judge him as an individual, not as a legend’s son’: Pragyan Ojha on Arjun Tendulkar

“We have to judge him as an individual, not as a legend’s son. He has to improve, obviously,” Ojha said during an interaction on Jio Cinema.

The 36-year-old cricketer also revealed what former India pacer Zaheer Khan told him about Arjun.

“I was talking to Zaheer Khan the other day, he told me that Arjun is someone you have to drag out of the nets, that’s the dedication he has,” he said.

Given the constantly changing nature of T20 cricket, Ojha thinks Arjun will need to add more weapons to his arsenal, but he also thinks the young cricketer has what it takes to compete at a higher level. He lavished praise on the debutante and said that he has demonstrated where hard work and perseverance can take you to.

“As T20 cricket continues to evolve, you need to have as many skills as possible to sustain in this kinds of leagues, and further go and play a higher level of cricket,” he said.

“I feel, as a young boy who is just playing his second game, he’s shown what hard work and dedication can help you achieve. Bowling those overs isn’t easy, especially when you’re playing in your second game. Whatever were the things he was trying to do, they were happening for him,” he added.

“He was trying to get the ball to swing into the batter, he was able to do that. He was trying to bowl the yorkers, and he was able to do that too. He’s got the temperament, the skill, and he wants to work hard,” he added.

Arjun recorded statistics of 0/17 in two overs in his first game against Kolkata Knight Riders before picking up 1/18 in 2.5 overs in his second game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. In his third game, he scalped the all-important wicket of Wriddhiman Saha.

Ojha also heaped praise upon captain Rohit Sharma for backing Arjun to bowl the last over and defend 20 runs in the final over against Hyderabad and said he did a ‘brilliant’ job with the bowlers.

“Last game, he (Rohit Sharma) was just brilliant the way he used his bowlers. The confidence that he gave Arjun Tendulkar was just outstanding because a guy who is playing just his second game on this kind of platform and bowling the 20th over, is not easy and it needs a lot of backing,” he said.

Ojha remarked that Rohit has done a great job of striking a balance between managing junior and older players in the team, despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Jhye Richardson, and Jofra Archer who are all nursing injuries.

“That’s where I feel Rohit has been brilliant in handling these boys and the seniors in the team. It is very important how you make them feel and Rohit has been exceptional. As a captain, he has been spot on. It is not just by chance that you win five trophies. It is by planning and how you go about your business. Yes at some point you can say he had a great side, but winning five trophies consistently in 15 years’ time is not easy,” Ojha added.