Ayush Badoni is suddenly one of the most talked about players in Indian cricket, having got his first selection in the Indian ODI squad. His journey from a domestic cricket player in Delhi to an accomplished finisher for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL has generated enough buzz in fans’ minds as to who he really is and how he has reached where he is today. Ayush Badoni finds himself possessing the skills of a very effective finisher as well as an off-spinner, and he has steadily worked on becoming a modern-day all-rounder for the country. Who is Ayush Badoni? Image Source: PTI Ayush Badoni is an Indian cricketer, a right-handed batting all-round who strikes well and bowls off spin. It was through the Indian Premier League (IPL), when he signed up with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), that Badoni became familiar with most cricket fans. Badoni's finishing attitude with composure, sound cricket intellect, and improving off-spin has made him one of the most exciting, uncapped players of the country. Also Read | Delhi all rounder earns maiden ODI cap in place of injured Washington Sundar, will join team at Rajkot Personal Life and Domestic Journey of Ayush Badoni Ayush Badoni was born on 3 December 1999. Since childhood, he played age-group cricket and scaled up the brackets at the domestic level. He represents Delhi in domestic cricket and boasts good leadership qualities such as having captained Delhi and being a deputy to Rishabh Pant in the latest Vijay Hazare trophy campaign. His first-class batting average of 57.96 demonstrates his solid technique and maturity in these longer formats. He has played 27 games, has an average of 36.47 with the bat, and lately has performed more with the ball, improving day by day as an all-rounder. Badoni's Rise Through the IPL Image Source: BCCI Badoni's major breakthrough came from the IPL. LSG scouted him in the domestic cricket and picked Badoni at his base price of ₹20 lakh in the IPL 2022 mega-auction. He created an instant hype when he debuted with a half-century against Gujarat Titans. Remember, despite such early troubles with LSG, Badoni showed maturity coming on at No. 6 to score 54 runs from 41 balls to help the team put up a competitive total. He became a permanent finisher for LSG in successive years as follows: IPL Season Team Matches Innings Runs HS Avg 50s 2025 LSG 14 11 329 74 32.90 2 2024 LSG 14 12 235 55* 29.37 2 2023 LSG 15 12 238 59* 23.80 1 2022 LSG 13 11 161 54 20.12 1 In addition, he displayed his off-spin skills and took wickets in the league. For IPL 2026, LSG retained him for INR 4 crores as an uncapped player. If he would have been capped before the mega auction, then as per IPL rules, the retention amount have been changed. Also Read | 6 Major Records Rohit Sharma Can Break in 2026 Badoni's Role and Style of Play He is mainly used as a middle-order batter who can finish innings with strike rotation and smart shot selection. His game plan does not rely purely on power-hitting; he can adapt and pace an innings as per the occasion. In his armory, he adds off-spin to his artillery and has been working hard towards becoming a complete all-rounder. Badoni bowls 30 balls per day after batting practice, and his deliveries include an arm ball and carrom ball, confirmed by Delhi head coach Sarandeep Singh. Hence, he is a like-for-like replacement for Washington Sundar in every respect in terms of team balance. Maiden Call-up for India Badoni was called up to replace Washington Sundar for the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand in January 2026. Irfan Pathan, a former player, like many others, commended his selection because Badoni had shown some good performances for India A, including a score of 66 against South Africa A and another knock of 50 against Australia A. Additionally, he was the talk of the town as fans debated why senior names like Axar Patel or Ruturaj Gaikwad were not chosen. Nonetheless, Badoni is a new all-round option for India going forward. Ayush Badoni IPL Salary IPL 2022: ₹20 lakh (LSG) IPL 2023: retained ₹20 lakh IPL 2024: retained ₹20 lakh IPL 2025: ₹4 crore (held by uncapped figure) He has match fees, reimbursements earned from performance bonuses, and advantages from a franchise facility. Ayush Badoni's journey has been one of waiting patiently and then working his way up. From a domestic player to a finisher in LSG and now entering the Indian setup with his skill set of performing with both bat and ball will see him develop in the coming years as a regular in the Indian team in the middle order as an all-rounder.