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Irfan Pathan questions Gautam Gambhir’s decision to choose Ayush Badoni for the ODI series against Recent Zealand, citing Badoni’s limited domestic impact.
Gautam Gambhir (PTI Photo)
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan ‘absolutely couldn’t make sense’ of the Gautam Gambhir-led team management’s decision to rope in Ayush Badoni for the continued ODI series against Recent Zealand. Pathan said Badoni has high potential but argued that he hasn’t done much to prove he’s ‘India-ready’.
Badoni was called as much as the national side for the primary time as a substitute for the injured all-rounder Washington Sundar. India didn’t explain the decision intimately, or why he was preferred over a more experienced name like Axar Patel, with batting coach Sitanshu Kotak simply stating that the team wanted someone who could provide a bowling option.
“I didn’t understand it in any respect,” Pathan said in a video on his YouTube channel. “I absolutely couldn’t make sense of it. It was completely out of left field. I even went and checked his scores within the recent past, within the Vijay Hazare Trophy and this one as well. I believe he’s a high-potential player, but I don’t know if he’s India-ready yet.”
“I used to be a bit surprised, truthfully. I used to be a bit surprised. Guys like Ayush Badoni haven’t done that well, right? I mean, he hasn’t exactly set domestic cricket on fire. It hasn’t really happened like that. He had three decent scores against South Africa A and Australia A, after which within the Vijay Hazare Trophy he picked up 4 wickets in three games. In order that they probably thought that he could bowl a bit and bat down the order. But yes, it was a surprise. It really was a surprise.”
Badoni had a mediocre Vijay Hazare Trophy with the bat and his overall List-A record doesn’t stand out either, with 693 runs at a mean of 36.47, with only one century.
His bowling has improved lately, but he rotated his arm in only three matches within the VHT, taking 4 wickets, including a three-wicket haul against Railways.
Picked before the second ODI, Badoni didn’t replace Sundar within the 11 because the team management went with Nitish Kumar Reddy. It could be interesting to see if he’s handed a debut on Sunday within the third ODI with the series on the road.
January 18, 2026, 09:14 IST
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