Ayush Badoni

Ayush Badoni is a utility cricketer who hails from Delhi. He is a skilful right-handed batter who can also contribute with his off-spin bowling. He is a lightning-quick fielder as well, which makes him a three-dimensional player that every team would love to have in their ranks. In 2021, he made his T20 debut for Delhi in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

He showed his true potential in a U-19 four-day game against Sri Lanka, where Badoni troubled the batters with an excellent spell as he picked up four wickets while conceding just 24 runs. He then smashed 185 runs off 202 balls, which caught the eye of a lot of scouts. Badoni realised his dream when the Lucknow franchise bought him for the 2022 Indian Premier League.

Ayush came into the limelight on the big stage when he scored his maiden half-century on his debut against Gujarat. His hook shot for a six against one of the fastest bowlers in the world, Lockie Ferguson, had tongues wagging, and he also showed a great aptitude to handle Rashid Khan, who can be considered one of the best T20 spinners in the world.

Badoni had played only a handful of games for the Delhi domestic side, but Gautam Gambhir, the mentor of the Lucknow side, backed him, and he repaid that faith with composure beyond his years. He further enhanced his reputation over the next few seasons in the Indian Premier League and also stepped into leadership roles, both in the Delhi Premier League and in the domestic circuit for Delhi.

The 2025 IPL season was Badoni's best campaign up until that point. One of the biggest milestones of his career came soon after, when he earned his maiden call-up to the ODI squad for the series against New Zealand as a replacement for the injured Washington Sundar. His leadership potential was recognised in February 2026, when the BCCI appointed him captain of the India A squad for their T20 World Cup warm-up matches against the USA and Namibia.