Washington Sundar faces injury mid-game, and Ayush Badoni earns the opportunity in the ongoing ODI games against New Zealand. The 26-year-old all-round player reported acute discomfort in his left lower rib area during the first ODI game and required immediate medical attention.
This marks the third injury for the Indian team, as Rishabh Pant and Tilan Varma are already ruled out. Pant faced a side strain while battling on the eve of the opening ODI, whereas Varma was ruled out as he underwent surgery for abdominal issues.
Ayush Badoni Replaces Washington Sundar
India faces another hiccup in the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand, but it became an opportunity for Ayush Bandoni, who is now named as the replacement for Washington Sundar.
Sundar faced discomfort in the lower left rib area during the first ODI against NZ. Despite the discomfort, he bowled for five overs for 27 runs before walking off the field and not returning for the rest of the innings.
However, he showed extreme sportsman spirit when he batted at No.8 despite the injury. More importantly, he remained unbeaten, and India got the four-wicket win.
Notably, Badoni is also an all-rounder and will join the Indian team for the second ODI at Rajkot. The list of the remaining players remains the same as follows:
- Shubman Gill
- Rohit Sharma
- Virat Kohli
- KL Rahul (WK)
- Shreyas Iyer (VC)
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Mohammed Siraj
- Harshit Rana
- Prasidh Krishna
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Arshdeep Singh
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Dhruv Jurel (WK)
- Ayush Badoni
What Does This Mean for Ayush Badoni?
Badoni has received the Men’s Selection Committee’s recommendation to replace Washington Sundar for the rest of the matches. The 26-year-old right-hand batter, who also bowls right-arm off-spin, has received a fast-track opportunity to prove himself as a multidimensional asset for India.
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However, this means he will miss Delhi’s quarterfinal against Vidarbha in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Although he’s an all-rounder, he’s primarily a batter. He has captained Delhi and also served Rishabh Pant during the Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign.
His performance for Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League gained him some popularity. Reportedly, he boasts his first-class batting average of 57.96; his List A numbers don’t necessarily agree, as experts call them modest.
“He has improved as a bowler considerably over the last 12 months. He is getting wickets for us regularly, he is a very smart cricketer and learns quickly “, said Delhi head Coach Sarandeep Singh.
Now, Ayush Badani is headed to join the team for the second ODI at Rajkot, while the BCCI Medical Team is seeking medical opinion for Washington’s recovery.
Source: BCCI (official website)