Arjun Tendulkar, Bowling all-rounder, on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, made his debut in the Ranji Trophy for Goa in the Elite Group C match against Rajasthan at the Goa Cricket Association Academy Ground in Porvorim.
Arjun shifted to Goa just in the early months of this year as he didn’t get enough chances to play for Mumbai. Arjun is a left-arm pacer. He has only played seven List A matches and nine T20s for Mumbai and Goa. The match against Rajasthan happened to be his first-class debut as well.
Arjun was also a part of the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) but unfortunately didn’t get a chance to play. Mahela Jayawardene, the head coach of MI, said that “Arjun needed to improve on certain aspects of his game to make it to a playing XI.”
The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) also gave a No Objection Certificate (NoC) to Arjun, who applied for the same.
“He wanted to play for Goa in the forthcoming season, so he approached us. We told him to first get an NoC from MCA, which he got today. We will have his fitness and skill test going ahead. Like many players, Arjun wanted to play for Goa but a process will be followed before we pick him,” Vipul Phadke, the Goa Cricket Association secretary, said.
As far as the ongoing match is concerned, Goa lost the early wicket of Sumiran Amonkar, who got out to Kamelesh Nagarkoti. Amogh Sunil Desai looked good in his 27 before Arafat Khan accounted for his wicket.
Thereafter, Suyash Prabhudessai and Snehal Suhas Kautahnkar took charge and guided Goa to 84 for the loss of two wickets at lunch.