Arjun Tendulkar, son of the greatest Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, has been all over the social media since getting selected to India U19 squad for the four-day matches in Sri Lanka next year.

However,  while many are happy with Arjun Tendulkar’s selection,  many believe he is succeeding in the game of cricket only because of nepotism. Recently, his U19 coach, Atul Gaikwad, has dismissed all such critics by saying “Arjun’s hard work has paid off.”

Being a celebrity kid, it is never easy for Arjun to escape from such critics and even he will have to carry the huge pressure on his young shoulder and have to face all such talks, but his coach is confident that he will handle all it very well.

Gaikwad further noted he has closely seen how the all-rounder has handled his injuries and bounce back strongly on the field and his hard work is the reason behind his selection and not nepotism.

As per reports in Times of India, Gaikwad said, “I’ve seen that boy very closely. From suffering back-to-back stress fractures three years ago to struggling with a spate of injuries; he has worked very hard to get here. On a good day, he can consistently touch 135 (kmph).”

Commenting on recent talks over his selection, Gaikwad is expected Arjun to handle all the hype and pressure really well.

He further said that Arjun never take advantage of his father’s name to get any attention or any special privileges on the cricketing field. He also urged people to “don’t jump the gun” and first watch his game and then make any comment on his selection.

He signed off by saying, “I expect him to handle it well. Personally, I’ve never seen him take advantage of his father’s name. For instance, never did he expect his coaches to give him any special attention because he is Sachin’s son nor has he ever made noise about it. I only hope people don’t jump the gun and start talking trash about why he’s here and whose son he is. Watch his cricket and see for yourself.”