Arjun Tendulkar will enter the IPL 2026 season at an important stage of his young career. After spending five years with the Mumbai Indians, for whom he got very limited chances, the left-arm pacer will start a new chapter with the Lucknow Super Giants. This move certainly presents him with a clear route toward regular match time and an opportunity to show what he has learnt over the years. A Fresh Start with Lucknow Super Giants Arjun was first picked by Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2021 auction for ₹20 lakh. His price increased by ₹10 lakh the next year but chances did not. He made his debut only in the 2023 season of the IPL and went on to play just five matches in five seasons. In IPL 2023, he picked up three wickets in four matches, including a strong final over performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad where he defended runs under pressure. However, in IPL 2024 he played only one match, and in IPL 2025 he did not get a single game. This was expected as MI had some of the world's best fast bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Trent Boult, Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer. And it was always going to be tough for a young bowler to break into that playing XI. Now at LSG, Arjun will be a part of the pace unit where he has more room for his growth. Also, senior support in Mohammed Shami, who joins LSG as a new signing, will hopefully help him without blocking his chances. The pace group for LSG also comprises Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Akash Singh, and Prince Yadav. That makes for a good place to learn as well as get competition for Arjun. Also Read | Will KKR retain Ajinkya Rahane's captaincy for 2026 IPL? Strong Domestic Experience Makes Him Better Prepared Arjun's move to Goa in domestic cricket has given him extra match time. Limited opportunities in the Mumbai domestic set-up saw him shift camp to Goa in 2022. He played his List A debut during the Vijay Hazare Trophy and immediately made his Ranji Trophy debut, taking three wickets. He has, across formats, slowly gained confidence with longer spells and important overs. In T20 cricket, 27 wickets from 24 matches at an average of 25.07 speak well of his promise with the ball. His growing workload in domestic cricket means that he will arrive at LSG more prepared than ever. With the approaching IPL 2026 season, Arjun Tendulkar stands at that point where opportunity finally matches preparation. If he uses this chance well, it might be the season that shapes his IPL career.