Wanted Arjun to have freedom to express himself: Sachin Tendulkar on son's IPL debut

Mumbai: Sachin Tendulkar sat in the dressing room instead of team dug-out as he didn't want son Arjun to deviate from his plans on his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians against Kolkata Knight Riders.

The 23-year-old left-arm seamer had figures of 0 for 17 in 2 overs with six dot balls after stand-in skipper Suryakumar Yadav handed him the new ball on Sunday.

"It was a great moment. A special one to play for the team that I supported since 2008 and it was nice to get the cap from captain of MI and Indian team," Arjun, who plays first-class cricket for Goa, told IPLT20.com.

For the legendary father, it was the first time that he watched his son play a competitive game.

"This was a new experience for me because till now I have not actually gone and watched him play. I wanted him to have the freedom to go out and express himself, and do whatever he wanted to," Tendulkar said after Mumbai Indians' seven-wicket win against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.

However during the initial part of KKR's innings, Tendulkar didn't sit in the dug-out outside the boundary line as it could have made Arjun conscious.

"Today, also I sat in dressing room as I didn't want him (Arjun) to move away from his plans and start looking at mega screen and suddenly realise that I am watching him, so I was inside." For the father, it was an emotional journey as he recollected his 16-year association with the franchise -- six years as player and last 10 as a 'Mentor'.

"Different feeling because 2008 was first season for me and 16 years down the line, he plays for the same team, not bad," he concluded.