After two good games, Arjun Tendulkar finally got a reality check on Saturday in the Indian Premier League when Punjab Kings played Mumbai Indians. Bowling his third and MI’s 16th over, the left arm pacer was thrashed for 31 runs in a single over. Arjun's illustrious father, Sachin Tendulkar who celebrates his birthday on April 24, has been a guiding influence in Tendulkar junor's sporting career so far.
Even though the father son duo became the first such pair to play in the Indian Premier League, Saturday’s performance showed that Tendulkar junior still has a long way to go.
Here is a list of such pairs that have featured in the Indian cricket team.
Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi
The then Nawab of Pataudi, Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, holds a unique distinction of being the only player to represent both India and England in international cricket. After representing England for three Tests, he led India in their tour to England in 1946.
His son, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, also followed his father’s footsteps and went on to lead India. He first led the side when he was just 21, making him the youngest Test captain at that time. Popularly known as Tiger Pataudi, he led India in 40 of the 46 Tests he played and captained India to their first ever overseas victory against New Zealand in 1967. Despite an injury that impaired his right eye, Tiger Pataudi registered himself among the early heroes of Indian cricket.
Lala Amarnath and Surinder Amarnath, Mohinder Amarnath
Lala Amarnath etched his name in the history of Indian cricket when he scored the first ever Test century for India in 1933, and Amarnath achieved this feat on his debut.
His elder son Surinder Amarnath also scored a century on debut in 1976. They are the only father-son duo to have scored centuries on their Test debuts.
Surinder’s younger brother, Mohinder Amarnath, surpassed the legacy of both his father and his brother and went on to have an illustrious career spanning almost two decades. Mohinder won the man of the match award in both the semi final and the final of India’s 1983 World Cup triumph.
Sunil Gavaskar and Rohan Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar is among the first names in an all-time Indian eleven. The little master, as he is fondly known, amassed over 10,000 Test runs with 34 centuries in his fantastic career that saw him rule over the most lethal of pace attacks without protective gears and helmets. He was also a part of the 1983 World Cup winning squad.
Burdened by the pressure of living up to his father’s name, his son Rohan Gavaskar failed to have a long international career. He never played Test cricket even though he featured in 11 ODIs.
Yuvraj Singh and Yograj Singh
An under-19 World Cup, a T-20 World Cup, an IPL title and a 50-over World Cup. Yuvraj Singh’s trophy cabinet has it all. He also won the player of the tournament award in India’s successful 2011 World Cup campaign. His six sixes in an over in the 2007 World T-20 made him one of the most popular names in Indian cricket around 2007-08. Yuvraj's batting was a nice mix of power and elegance while he also was a useful left-arm spinner.
His father Yograj Singh also played a Test match and six ODIs for the country.
Roger Binny and Stuart Binny
Roger Binny is best remembered for his unforgettable contribution to India’s 1983 World Cup winning campaign. He took the most wickets for India in that World Cup. He was an fast bowling allrounder and remained an important part of the team in the 80s.
His son followed his footsteps and became a fast bowling allrounder. However, Binny Jr could not emulate his father’s success at the international level. Though, his figures of 6 wickets for four runs are still the best by any Indian bowler in ODIs.
Vijay Manjrekar and Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar is among the most popular cricket commentators right now. In the early 1990s, he was also a regular feature in the Indian team. His father Vijay Manjrekar was also a regular in the Indian team in the 1950s. Both the Manjrekars scored over 2,000 Test runs.
Vinoo Mankad and Ashok Mankad
Even after more than six decades since his retirement, Vinoo Mankad is considered one of the greatest allrounders India has ever produced. In just 23 Test matches, he had breached the 1000-run and 100-wicket barrier. His greatness can be judged by the fact that he still remains the only cricketer in the world with two Test match double-centuries and two eight-wicket hauls.
His son Ashok also represented India and played 22 Test matches.
Pankaj Roy and Pranab Roy
Before Sunil Gavaskar crossed the 2000-run mark, Pankaj Roy was the only Indian batter to get there. He was a solid defensive batter who played 43 Tests for India in the 50s. His son Pranab Roy also played two Tests.
Datta Gaekwad and Anshuman Gaekwad
Datta Gaekwad represented India 11 times and led in four of those while his son Anshuman Gaekwad played 22 times for India.
Hemant Kanitkar and Hrishikesh Kanitkar
Hemant Kanitkar was one among Gavaskar’s several opening partners. He played two Test matches, in 1974/75, the same as his son Hrishikesh. However, Hrishikesh also featured 34 times in ODIs.
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