’40 balls are bowled every day after batting’: The hubbub behind Ayush Badoni’s first call-up to India | EXCLUSIVE | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Ayush Badoni had just finished his training session on Monday and was on his way back to the hotel when a message popped up on his phone. It was the moment he had been waiting for – his first assignment in India. Badoni maintained his composure and first conveyed the message to his Delhi coach and former Indian cricketer Sarandeep Singh before giving him an emotional hug.Badoni was named as a replacement for Washington Sundar in India’s squad for the remaining two ODIs against New Zealand after the all-rounder was ruled out with a rib injury. Washington sustained the injury during the series opener in Vadodara on Sunday.

“He was really happy and I was really happy for him. He really deserved it.” He worked extremely hard. Most people know him as a batsman who can clear the ropes, hit boundaries at will and play long innings. Ask anyone and they will be marked as a real batsman. But he is also an excellent off-spinner and he has become one through hard work alone,” Sarandeep said in an exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.com.“I told him last year that although he is a very good batsman, he has to bowl at least seven overs after every batting session before going home. He accepted this challenge without hesitation. Even after long batting sessions, he would pick up the ball and bowl seven overs, sometimes even more. He has put a lot of work into his off-spin,” the Delhi head coach added.Badoni, who has an impressive first-class batting average of 57.96, averages 36.47 in 27 games in the List A format.Badoni has also shown leadership qualities, having captained Delhi in the past and served as Rishabh Pant’s deputy during the team’s recent Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign.“I told him that focusing on his spin bowling will be a strong argument that he is someone who fits into the Indian team if he wants to become a good all-rounder. His off-spin is really good now. He spins sharply and he has added a few variations to his bowling. He also bowls the carrom ball and the arm ball. He is a very smart cricketer,” Sarandeep said.“He was also fortunate to share the dressing room with Virat Kohli in the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. He, Priyansh Arya and several other young cricketers have learned a lot from a legend like him. This phase played a big role in helping Ayush improve his game,” he added.India’s updated squad for the 2nd and 3rd ODI:Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ayush Badoni.

WHO IS AYUSH BADONI?

Born in Delhi in 1999, 26-year-old Ayush Badoni is a consistent performer for the Delhi team. He was picked by Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2022 mega auction for a base price of Rs 20 lakh. Under the direction of Gautam GambhirBadoni stepped up his game and Gambhir even sent him to No. 6 in the batting order.After his impressive performances for LSG, the franchise hired him for Rs 4 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Since then, Badoni has remained an important part of the Lucknow Super Giants squad.In total, he has played 56 IPL matches so far, scoring 963 runs at a strike rate of 138.56. He also contributed with the ball, taking four wickets.Apart from the IPL, Badoni has made significant contributions in the Delhi Premier League (DPL), where he captained the South Delhi Superstarz and showcased his all-round skills.AYUSH BADONI – CAREER STATISTICSBatting and Fielding:

Bowling: