The motto of the Indian Premier League has always been ‘where talent meets opportunity’ and that was exactly the case on Monday evening Lucknow Super Giants Batsman Ayush Badoni faced the challenge of scoring 54 runs against Gujarat Titans at the Wankhede Stadium. Lucknow were looking down the barrel at 29/4 but it was Deepak Hooda and Badoni who added 87 runs for the fifth wicket to help Lucknow post 158/6 in the allotted 20 overs.
It may not have been enough as Gujarat chased down the target with five wickets in hand, but Badoni declared his arrival in style.
22-year-old Badoni played an innings of 54 runs in 41 balls with the help of six fours and two sixes. The batsman completed his fifty in 38 balls. After the match ended, Badoni thanked Lucknow Super Giants mentor Gautam Gambhir for his support.
“Gautam bhaiya helped me a lot. He told me to play my natural game and play the ball, not the bowler. He told me that I would get proper runs in the team. He also told me ‘you don’t need the situation’ Play according to, the team has senior players to do it, so you just play your natural game.”
“I was going unsold in the last auction. I had participated in 2-3 team camps, but I didn’t know if I would be picked. Lucknow showed its faith in me and I am grateful. I have two fifty. There were high scores Lucknow picked me after the trial and it impressed the coaches and that’s why they were convinced to send me in front of Hardik Pandya,” said Badoni, who was auctioned by Lucknow for Rs 20 lakh.
Badoni belongs to Tarak Sinha’s sonnet club, who has previously given Indian cricket Rishabh Pant.
In a youth Test, Badoni played an unbeaten knock of 185 runs in 202 balls in 2018. Since then, he was seen as a serious prospect but he never got a chance to make it big in the Delhi team and was not even a part of it. From India’s U19 World Cup side in 2018.
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“It’s been a bit of a struggle. I haven’t got many opportunities with Delhi. I’ve raised my game, I’ve tried to add a few more shots to my arsenal. I played one season for Delhi, I played five matches, And in only one game I got to bat. I got out early in that game.”
Badoni is yet to play a first-class match and has played only six T20Is in his career so far. He made his T20 debut for Delhi in 2021 against Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium.
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