Ayush Badoni Picked, Harshit Rana Favoured; Delhi Bias in Team India Under Gautam Gambhir?

The ongoing ODI series between India and New Zealand saw a thrilling contest in the first game, where the home team chased down a target of 301 runs with four wickets to spare. Despite Virat Kohli's 93 runs, the team struggled to chase the target after his dismissal. Eventually, KL Rahul's responsible batting helped India clinch victory. But the hosts did suffer a huge blow as Washington Sundar sustained an injury and was ruled out of the series. The selectors included an uncapped player, Ayush Badoni, who represents Delhi in domestic cricket.

Ayush Badoni Picked in IND vs NZ Series

After Washington Sundar's injury, the selectors announced Ayush Badoni as his replacement for the last two games. Gautam Gambhir selection is questioned again since Ayush is not a like-for-like replacement for Sundar. Moreover, he hasn't performed well in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy as well. Cricket experts and fans have questioned the team India selection now. The viewers have come up with Gambhir's Delhi Bias as Harshit Rana was given a chance ahead of Arshdeep Singh, who is one of the best bowler in India. Now, with Badoni's inclusion, there is a lot more outrage to be seen on social media. India suffered another blow as Rishabh Pant was ruled out of the series due to injury. Dhruv Jurel replaced him in the squad.

India’s Updated Squad for 2nd and 3rd ODIs

Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ayush Badoni.

Ayush Badoni's Recent Performance

Indian selectors have selected Ayush Badoni as a replacement for Washington Sundar for the remaining two ODI matches against New Zealand. Considering Badoni's form, the decision looks like it's been taken in haste. Badoni has scored 693 runs in 27 matches at an average of 36.47. In First-class cricket, he has scored 1681 runs in 21 matches at an average of 57.96. But in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, he has scored 1, 12, 3 in three innings he has batted.

Hence, the fans and experts raised questions against India's selection process and whether Gautam Gambhir was biased towards Delhi players in the IND vs NZ series 2026. Badoni might get his ODI cap in the upcoming match against New Zealand, or the management might go with Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is already present in the squad and is an all-rounder as well. The viewers will have to wait for the upcoming game to get clarity on India's playing XI against New Zealand in the second ODI match.