Delhi batter Ayush Badoni will be leading Virat Kohli in Delhi's Ranji Trophy match against Railways from January 30 to February 2. Badoni, who made his first-class debut only last year, shot to fame after his exploits in the cash-rich T20 tournament Indian Premier League (IPL).

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Badoni, who was identified by current India coach Gautam Gambhir, was given a chance for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) where Gambhir was the director of cricket. The 25-year-old credits the Indian coach for his success.

He was also retained by the LSG ahead of the IPL mega auction in December 2024 for INR 4 crore ($500,000).

Also Read: Virat Kohli Ranji Trophy Return Updates

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Who is Ayush Badoni?

Badoni first came to the limelight when he scored fifty in IPL 2022 for LSG. His stroke play thrilled the crowd and former players alike. Badoni had represented India at the U-19 level as well but was lost backstage for three years despite scoring 185 in the youth Test against Sri Lanka and 28-ball 52 in the Asia Cup Final (2018).

Also Read: Virat Kohli declines to lead Delhi team in Railways match

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Badoni played with the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Devdutt Padikkal but could not reach the same heights in international cricket and remains uncapped.

After his IPL exploits in 2022, he made his FC debut in 2023 and has played 13 games so far, scoring 964 runs at an average of 53 with three hundreds and two fifties. His highest in FC cricket is 205 not out and he currently leads the Delhi Ranji Trophy team.

In List A cricket, Badoni has played 18 games with 540 runs to his name at an average of 38 with one hundred and three fifties.

Ayush Badoni in IPL

In IPL, Badoni has played 42 matches for LSG and has scored 634 runs at a strike rate of 134 and an average of 24. He has also hit four fifties with a best of 59 not out.