IND vs NZ: 3 reasons why selecting Ayush Badoni for ODI is wrong decision

Ayush Badoni has received his maiden call-up to the India team.

On Monday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that young batting all-rounder Ayush Badoni will replace injured Washington Sundar for the ODI series between India and New Zealand (IND vs NZ).

Sundar sustained a side strain during the series opener in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11. Nevertheless, Badoni’s maiden call-up for the Men in Blue has come as a surprise for many Indian cricket fans.

Thus, without any further ado, let’s take a look at the three reasons why Ayush Badoni’s selection in ODIs is a wrong move.

3. Ayush Badoni’s current form

Ayush Badoni is unarguably one of the top young talents in the Indian cricket pool. However, he has not been in his best form recently. In the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, the all-rounder has scored only 16 runs and has taken four wickets in a total of three matches.

Additionally, he has not batted in two of his last five List A matches. Badoni has specifically faced troubles while facing legbreak bowlers in his recent matches, as he was dismissed by Ravi Bishnoi and Hemanth Reddy against Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, respectively.

New Zealand also have Adithya Ashok and Jayden Lennox, who could pose a challenge for the 26-year-old if he makes his debut in the remaining two ODIs.

2. Difference in skill set from Washington Sundar

Badoni is a right-handed batting all-rounder, unlike Washington Sundar. While Sunder is often considered a ‘complete all-rounder’, who can bat at 5 and bowl ten overs, Badoni can’t promise the same.

Also, while the Delhi all-rounder bats right-handed and can bowl off-spin part-time, Sundar comes across as a more bowling-oriented option, who is a left-handed batter. Ayush has improved his bowling in recent times; however, it would be hard for him to fill the boots of Washington Sunder.

The Tamil Nadu star offers control in his bowling, shaped by his experience on the top stage. When it comes to batting, Badoni has played more as a top-order batter in domestic cricket. However, for India, he will be forced to feature at the No. 5 spot, where Washington Sunder was playing.

1. Other options could have been considered

Instead of Ayush Badoni, other options would have been considered by the Indian Selection Committee. Senior players such as Axar Patel and Shahbaz Ahmed were also available for selection in the ongoing series.

Meanwhile, Tanush Kotian from Mumbai was another option that the committee could have chosen. The three players would have also batted comfortably at the No. 5 spot, where Washington Sunder was playing.

Axar Patel last played for the Men in Blue during India’s T20I series against South Africa last year, where he was ruled out midway due to illness.

Since then, he has not been selected for the last two ODI series for India, despite showing decent form. Meanwhile, Shahbaz Ahmed’s experience has also been slightly overlooked.

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