"What Rubbish Is This?" India Great Takes Brutal Jibe At Gautam Gambhir After Ayush Badoni Call-Up
Former BCCI chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth has not minced his words regarding his disapproval of Ayush Badoni's India selection.
- Ex-India cricketer and selector Kris Srikkanth has blasted Gautam Gambhir for Ayush Badoni's India selection
- "Badoni played at LSG and Gambhir was the mentor there. I don't see any other reason," Srikkanth said
- "What rubbish is this? How is he considered a bowling all-rounder?" he added
Ayush Badoni's sudden call-up to the India ODI squad for the ongoing series against New Zealand has been met with mixed reactions. Badoni, a batting all-rounder who bowls off-spin, has not been among the runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy recently. However, he has been brought in as the injured Washington Sundar's replacement. One of the people against the decision is former India cricketer and former BCCI chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who has labelled the move as "rubbish" and also took a slight jibe at India head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Srikkanth hinted that Badoni being a Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) player and Gambhir having previously mentored the franchise is the only reason he has been selected.
"Out of Axar (Patel), Badoni, Nitish Reddy, and (Ruturaj) Gaikwad, which two must really be in the team? Badoni played at LSG and he (Gambhir) was the mentor there. I don't see any other reason. What else can it be? On what basis? You should have some sense in selection," Srikkanth said, speaking on his YouTube channel, as quoted by Sportskeeda.
"What kind of door is this? Bring two or three trucks, take them and go through and break the door," he further said.
Srikkanth expressed his concern regarding the selection, stating that IPL performances should not be the criteria.
"Ayush Badoni with this performance, no chance. What is his track record in the IPL also? IPL and one-day cricket is different. He has not done anything great," he said.
"He is not a guy who can take the match away from you. Can he come at number six and hit sixes also? I don't understand.
"What rubbish is this? How is he considered a bowling all-rounder? If an all-rounder is missing why not bring in Axar Patel? He is a genuine all-rounder in all formats," Srikkanth added.
Badoni averages nearly 58 in first-class cricket. However, that number drops to 36.47 in List A. Badoni has previously hit a couple of half-centuries for India A in unofficial one-day matches.
Gautam Gambhir
Ayush Badoni
India vs New Zealand 2026
India Cricket Team
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