A sense of unfinished business was apparent as Ayush Badoni, unbeaten on 116, walked into the dressing room at the end of day three of Delhi’s Ranji Trophy tie against Jharkhand at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. On Saturday afternoon, after hitting a double ton to give the host the first-innings honours in a drawn clash, Delhi’s newest captain was beaming as he engaged in a post-match chat with a group of reporters.
“It is a very good start. When I became captain, I wanted to play a knock that wins the match. That is what I did,” Badoni said shortly after being adjudged the Player of the Match for his career-best effort of 205 not out. “There is a bit of pressure that comes with the captaincy, but I enjoy it.”
Having just replaced Himmat Singh as captain, Badoni also moved up to No. 4 in the batting order for this game. It paid off as the 24-year-old exerted his influence on the contest right from the outset of his innings. “It was my decision to bat at No. 4. I have two hundreds previously at this position. I will try to bat at 3 or 4 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy too.”
Report | Badoni double ton helps Delhi secure lead in draw against Jharkhand
While the focus of many domestic players will shift to next week’s IPL mega auction, Badoni has the comfort of knowing he has been retained by Lucknow Super Giants. It is a franchise that has played a significant role in his rise, even sending him on a training camp to Australia last year to work with coach Justin Langer.
“The wickets in Perth are very different to what we have in India. Playing there gave me good exposure. Langer also taught me a lot about when to show my aggression and when to control it while batting. He was speaking to me about my batting for all formats. He also changed a few things in my batting grip. Those things are helping a lot,” he explained.
Badoni’s proficiency as an off-spinner is also growing. With nine scalps in just three games, he is, in fact, Delhi’s leading wicket-taker this season. He credits Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh, a former India off-spinner, for the returns.
“Sarandeep sir was also an off-spinner. I have worked a lot with him. After the IPL, I felt I should be more of an all-rounder. I bowled in the Delhi Premier League too. Sarandeep sir also said my bowling will be a good addition to the team. So I am taking it seriously,” Badoni said.