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Why Ayush Badoni?: A major change has been made to the Indian team ahead of the ongoing three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand. After star all-rounder Washington Sundar was ruled out due to injury, the selectors have included young player Ayush Badoni in the squad. However, this decision has sparked a new debate in Indian cricket circles.
The Selection Controversy: Why Fans are Raising Questions?
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On social media, fans are calling this decision 'biased'. Two main reasons are being cited for this:
- The Delhi Connection: Coach Gautam Gambhir and Ayush Badoni both hail from Delhi.
- The IPL Factor: Gambhir has been the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), and Badoni has been a key player for the same team.
Fans allege that giving preference to Badoni despite his poor form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy is a result of the coach's personal preference.
Ayush Badoni's List-A and First-Class Record
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Questions are being raised about Badoni's selection based on his ODI (List-A) record, but his first-class record is quite impressive.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| List-A (ODI) | 27 | 693 | 36.47 | 93.27 | 18 |
| First Class | 21 | 1681 | 57.96 | - | 22 |
| IPL | 56 | 963 | 26.75 | 138.56 | 04 |
Badoni's average of 57.96 in the Ranji Trophy and his experience of captaining Delhi makes him a promising player for the long run, but his consistency in the ODI format is still questionable.
Also Read: Full List of WPL Hat-Tricks: Nandini Sharma Becomes the Latest Entry in 2026
5 players who could have been better options than Ayush Badoni
Fans and experts believe that these 5 players had a stronger claim as a replacement for Washington Sundar
- Shahbaz Ahmed: He has an exceptional List-A record. 1412 runs at an average of 48.68 and 68 wickets in 57 matches. He recently scored 390 runs and took 6 wickets in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
- Krunal Pandya: Experienced all-rounder Krunal scored 321 runs and took 6 wickets for Baroda in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He has considerable international experience.
- Riyan Parag: Parag offers aggressive batting along with off-break bowling. He has an average of over 41 in List A matches.
- Anukul Roy: This left-arm spin all-rounder scored 245 runs in 6 innings of the Vijay Hazare Trophy and also took 4 wickets.
- Harsh Dubey: This Vidarbha player has also impressed with his bowling and batting in domestic cricket.
Why Did Team Management Pick Ayush Badoni?
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Even though there is criticism, the team management might have a solid reason for selecting Badoni. Washington Sundar is a right-arm off-spinner. The Indian team already has two left-arm spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.
Most of the options mentioned above (Shahbaz, Krunal, Anukul) are left-arm spinners. Since Badoni is a right-arm off-break bowler, he fits as a 'like-for-like' replacement for Sundar.
Also Read: West Indies Announce Squad for T20I Series Against Afghanistan
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