Yograj Singh Backs Arjun Tendulkar to Become “Next Chris Gayle” with Yuvraj’s Mentorship
Yograj Singh, father of former India star Yuvraj Singh, has made a bold claim that Arjun Tendulkar could emulate Chris Gayle’s batting prowess if mentored by Yuvraj. Arjun, son of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and a Mumbai Indians (MI) all-rounder, trained briefly under Yograj in 2022 before his Ranji Trophy debut for Goa, where he scored a century – mirroring his father’s 1988 debut feat. However, their partnership ended due to concerns over “credit attribution”, as Yograj revealed, “People feared his name would stick with me”.
“Focus less on bowling, more on batting. If Yuvraj trains him for three months, Arjun will become the next Gayle”, Yograj told CricketNext, citing Arjun’s first-class century (100 on debut) and 532 runs across 17 matches as proof of batting potential.
Arjun, unsold initially in IPL 2025 auctions, was bought by MI for ₹30 lakh in the second round but remains unused this season. He last played in 2024, conceding two sixes off full tosses before exiting with a stress fracture – an injury Yograj warns could derail his bowling career.
While he took a five-wicket haul for Goa in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25, his batting dipped (40 runs in 2 inning). In the Ranji Trophy, he scored 51 runs (avg. 17) but impressed with 16 wickets in 4 matches.
Yograj insists Yuvraj, who mentored Shubman Gilland Abhishek Sharma, could unlock Arjun’s “limitless potential” as a batting all-rounder. Despite MI’s reluctance to field him, Yograj remains adamant: “Sachin must let Yuvraj guide him – the results will stun everyone”.