LSG vs DC: Will Arjun Tendulkar find a place in the starting XI today?

Arjun Tendulkar transfer mumbai indians Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, the deal with Lucknow Supergiants might have been a straight swap deal in the IPL trade window, but it did grab the attention of fans, even though the trade window witnessed some major changes, such as Sanju Samson being traded from RR to CSK. As LSG kicks off their match against Delhi Capitals at the Ekana International Stadium today, the focus will be on whether the all-rounder can find a place in LSG’s starting XI. LSG, who are only seventh in IPL 2025, are targeting victory under the captaincy of Rishabh Pant. Unlike last year when LSG was plagued by injuries, this year they have a fully healthy squad that includes key players like Mohammad Shami and Anrich Nortje, while the return of Mayank Yadav and Mohsin Khan from injury has also bolstered the pace of their bowling fortunes.

Will Arjun Tendulkar play today??

The question that then arises is whether Arjun Tendulkar can find a place in the starting XI. Primarily a bowler, Tendulkar will face stiff competition from the likes of India internationals Avish Khan, Mayank and Mohsin for a spot in the final eleven, with Shami expected to spearhead the attack. There is also a host of young fast bowlers with Prince Yadav, Akash Singh, Naman Tiwari and fast bowling all-rounder Arshin Kulkarni also vying for a spot. Although Mumbai Indians signed Tendulkar in IPL 2021, he was unable to play this season due to injury and the team later bought him back ahead of the 2022 season. After serving as a substitute in the 2022 season, he finally made his debut in the 2023 IPL against Kolkata Knight Riders and went on to represent MI in five matches, taking three wickets. Always in the shadow of his legendary father, Tendulkar’s every performance has been scrutinized and often linked to Sachin, which is often a little unfair, but Arjun has earned his own stripes in domestic cricket over the years, taking 27 wickets in 24 T20 games at a strike rate of 17.1 and an average of 25.07. He also scored 119 runs in the format at a strike rate of 123.95. After representing Mumbai in his early days, Arjun switched his allegiance to Goa and took A-list wickets of 25 and 47 in first-class cricket and 250 and 100 in FC. Earlier, ahead of LSG’s season opener, Tendulkar revealed in a podcast how he dealt with the criticism leveled against him. In an interview with Shubhankar Mishra, Arjun was asked: “How do you keep yourself so cool and collected?” Arjun replied, “I have 5 dogs in Goa and I spend time playing with them”. Shubhankar asked: “Do you have any friends who are cricketers?” Arjun said: “I don’t really have cricket friends, most of my friends don’t play cricket”. Shubhankar asked, “Are you afraid of criticism?”. Arjun: Say: No. I don’t. “