Delhi coach Sarandeep Singh lavished praise on Ayush Badoni for earning his maiden India call-up. The latter has replaced the injured Washington Sundar from the Men in Blue's squad for the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand. Though he is generally known for his batting prowess, Badoni has transitioned well into an all-rounder in his recent matches for Delhi. He had racked up three wickets in Delhi's recent fixture against Railways in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Badoni had also taken a total of 10 scalps in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, including a 4-fer against Karnataka. However, his performances with the bat have deteriorated massively. He has only scored 16 runs so far in three innings in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He has registered just one fifty-plus score in his last 10 outings in competitive cricket.
Sarandeep on Badoni's bowling skills
Sarandeep remarked that not only is Badoni a solid batter, but is also a fabulous off-spinner and has evolved in the role purely due to hard-work. He further said that he had instructed the 26-year-old to bowl atleast seven overs even after tiring batting sessions and this has helped him in improving his skills.
“He was really happy, and I was very happy for him. He truly deserved it. He has worked extremely hard. Most people know him as a batter who can clear the ropes, hit boundaries at will and play long innings. Ask anyone and he’ll be tagged as a proper batter. But he is also an excellent off-spinner, and he has evolved into one purely through hard work," Sarandeep told TimesofIndia.com.
“I told him last year that while he is a very good batter, he must bowl at least seven overs after every batting session before going home. He accepted that challenge without any hesitation. Even after long batting sessions, he would pick up the ball and bowl seven overs, sometimes even more. He has put in a lot of work on his off-spin… His off-spin is really good now. It turns sharply, and he has added a couple of variations to his bowling. He bowls the carrom ball and the arm ball as well. He is a very smart cricketer," he added.
Sarandeep credits Virat for Badoni's improvement
Sarandeep further said that young cricketers like Badoni and Priyansh Arya benefitted a lot by spending time with Virat Kohli in Delhi's dressing room.
“He has also been fortunate to share the dressing room with Virat Kohli in the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. He, Priyansh Arya and several other young cricketers have learned a lot from a legend like him. That phase played a big role in helping Ayush improve his game," Sarandeep stated.
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It remains to be seen if Badoni will be handed his maiden international cap in India's second ODI against New Zealand that wil be held on January 14 at the Niranjan Shah stadium in Rajkot. On the other hand, the series decider between the two teams will be played on December 18 at the Holkar stadium in Indore.