“If MI felt Arjun Tendulkar was ready, they would have played him by now” - Mohammad Kaif

Will Arjun Tendulkar make his IPL debut against Delhi? Pic: Twitter

Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif reckons that Arjun Tendulkar is unlikely to feature in the Mumbai Indians’ (MI) playing XI in their final IPL 2022 league match on Saturday. MI will take on the Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Wankhede Stadium and hope to end their disastrous campaign on a positive note.

With nothing much other than pride to play for, some experts have opined that Mumbai have a good chance to hand an IPL debut to young Arjun Tendulkar. Kaif, however, has a different view on the matter. According to the 41-year-old, the franchise might not be confident of the 22-year-old's readiness for the big stage as yet.

Speaking to Sportskeeda ahead of the MI vs DC IPL 2022 clash, Kaif shared his views on ‘junior’ Tendulkar’s possible debut and stated:

“If MI felt Arjun Tendulkar was ready, they would have played him by now. I think they feel he still needs to work on his game. Why would a captain wait till the last game to try out a player? If he was good enough, he would have already been in the playing XI. I don’t think Rohit Sharma is a captain who would try out a player just because it is the last match. MI would want to go with their best combination and try to win this game.”

Mumbai were the first team to be eliminated from the IPL 2022 playoffs race. Due to their below-par performances, they have been forced to try out majority of the players in their squad. Apart from Arjun, Aryan Juyal and Rahul Buddhi are the only two members of the MI squad who haven’t got a game yet.

“I have a feeling Arjun Tendulkar will play” - Ajay Jadeja

Unlike Kaif, former India batter Ajay Jadeja stated that there is a decent chance of the youngster getting a game. Speaking on Cricbuzz, he commented:

“MI have a chance of creating a record, where everyone from the squad has got a game. Mumbai have tried all the other players. I have a feeling Arjun Tendulkar will play. That way, at least we will get glimpses of how much he has developed. I hope the three youngsters who haven’t got a game play in this match. MI, anyways, need to start on a blank slate for next season."

Arjun आणि 🎯 वर नेम 👉 Perfect since ages! 😉

#OneFamily #DilKholKe #MumbaiIndians MI TV https://t.co/lqhwtKvxmF

Arjun was purchased by Mumbai at the IPL 2022 auction for ₹30 lakh. He was part of the franchise last year as well but did not play a match. He was ruled out of IPL 2021 during the UAE leg due to an injury.