"Rohit Sharma knows he is not really a death bowler" - Simon Doull on Arjun Tendulkar's bowling exploits in IPL 2023
Simon Doull believes Mumbai Indians (MI) should not be using left-arm pacer Arjun Tendulkar as their death bowler in the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).
The former New Zealand cricketer suggested that even skipper Rohit Sharma will be aware that Arjun is yet to establish himself as a death bowler at this stage of his career. He opined that Mumbai should use the 23-year-old's overs during the powerplay when there is some swing on offer.
The cricketer-turned-commentator also pointed out that while Arjun has had a bad outing, Mumbai should not drop him from the side on the basis of one performance.
During a discussion on Cricbuzz, Doull explained:
"The last thing you want to do to a young man [Arjun Tendulkar] is throw him on the heap after one bad game because he has actually done a pretty good job. I don't think in all honesty, and I think Rohit Sharma knows he is not really a death bowler as of yet.
"He is not a guy they should be bowling in the last four or five. But he went to him to give him an opportunity and it cost them.
"I think he is more like Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar, who bowl two to three overs upfront where it swings a little bit, and then you forget about it. He is not experienced enough at the moment to be bowling at the back end of the innings."
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Arjun Tendulkar performed decently with the ball in his first two appearances in this year's cash-rich league. However, he was taken to the cleaners during MI's clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS), where he conceded 31 runs from his third over.
"I'd expect him to slot back in" - Simon Doull wants GT to bring back Alzarri Joseph for IPL 2023 clash vs MI
Gujarat and Mumbai will battle it out in the upcoming match number 35 of IPL 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, April 25.
Simon Doull mentioned that Hardik Pandya and Co. should accommodate right-arm speedster Alzarri Joseph in their playing XI, given that he has performed admirably in the shortest format of late.
He said:
"Alzarri Joseph has been one of the best bowlers in T20 cricket in the last two years. His pace is sneaky quick. I'd expect him to slot back in, and that's the only change you would expect from Gujarat.
"He is such a good bowler at the moment, and he hits more people than most quick bowlers. He hits them because of his sneaky pace and his beautiful high action."
The lanky pacer has bagged seven wickets from five games at an economy rate of 8.84 in IPL 2023. It remains to be seen if he will be able to find a place in the starting XI against Mumbai, as Gujarat opted to have just three overseas players in their previous fixture.