Bollywood star Farhan Akhtar on Saturday defended Sachin Tendulkar‘s son, Arjun, saying that the word “nepotism” should not be thrown at the youngster as he is very hardworking and is constantly working towards becoming a better cricketer. Arjun Tendulkar was picked up by Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 auction for his base price of Rs 20 lakh. However, many on social media, have questioned Arjun’s abilities and many critics have brought up ‘nepotism’ to question Arjun.

“I feel I should say this about #Arjun_Tendulkar. We frequent the same gym & I’ve seen how hard he works on his fitness, seen his focus to be a better cricketer. To throw the word ‘nepotism’ at him is unfair & cruel. Don’t murder his enthusiasm & weigh him down before he’s begun,” tweeted Farhan Akhtar.

I feel I should say this about #Arjun_Tendulkar. We frequent the same gym & I’ve seen how hard he works on his fitness, seen his focus to be a better cricketer. To throw the word ‘nepotism’ at him is unfair & cruel. Don’t murder his enthusiasm & weigh him down before he’s begun.

— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) February 20, 2021

After the auction, Mumbai Indians‘ director of cricket operations Zaheer Khan had said that all-rounder Arjun Tendulkar will need to prove himself in the upcoming edition of the IPL.

In the players’ auction held on Thursday, defending champions Mumbai Indians picked up Arjun Tendulkar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jimmy Neesham, Yudhvir Charak, Marco Jansen, and Piyush Chawla.

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“I have spent a lot of time in the nets, trying to teach him some tricks of the trade, he is a hardworking kid, he is keen on learning, it is an exciting part. The added pressure of being Sachin Tendulkar’s son will always be on him, it is something he needs to live with, the environment of the team will help him. It will help him become a good cricketer, how many times a youngster gets picked in the auction and everyone is talking about him, he has to prove himself and he has to show everyone he has the goods,” Zaheer had during a virtual press conference.

The IPL 2021 Auction saw Chris Morris becoming the most expensive player in the history after Rajasthan Royals the South African all-rounder for a whopping Rs 16.25 crore.