Is Ayush Badoni Playing Today Match in IND vs NZ 2nd ODI?

India and New Zealand will play against each other in the 2nd match of the three-match ODI series at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, Khandheri, Rajkot, on Wednesday, January 14. The Men in Blue have taken a 1-0 lead after winning the first ODI by four wickets in Vadodara.

However, the Indian team suffered a huge blow during the match as their star all-rounder, Washington Sundar, suffered a side strain and was later ruled out of the series. Delhi-based cricketer Ayush Badoni was named as his replacement for the remaining two matches, but the question is, will he be included in the playing XI for the IND vs NZ 2nd ODI?

Is Ayush Badoni Playing Today Match?

When Ayush Badoni was announced as Sundar's replacement, India's head coach Gautam Gambhir was slammed brutally with the allegations of him favouring the Delhi-based cricketers. He was also criticised for selecting Harshit Rana in the first match while benching Arshdeep Singh.

Despite Badoni being part of the squad, he is unlikely to play the IND vs NZ 2nd ODI. However, there are no official announcements have been made regarding that, but there are several other players in the squad who are expected to play the match ahead of Badoni. India are expected to field Nitish Kumar Reddy for the match, who is currently one of the best all-rounders in India. Reddy can play the finisher's role and can be handy with the ball as well.

Why was Ayush Badoni Named Washington Sundar's Replacement?

As mentioned above, Ayush Badoni India call-up as Sundar's replacement did not go down well with the fans and cricket experts. Indian batting coach Sitanshu Kotak spoke about the inclusion of Badoni, stating that he has performed well in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and for India A as well.

“He has been playing, he has been performing, he has played some India A one-day matches and he has performed. Of course, it is the selectors who pick the team, but for any common man, when Washington is out, you cannot normally go with only five bowlers. For example, in the last game, if we had only five bowlers and Washington got injured in the fourth or fifth over, then who would have bowled those overs?” Kotak said in the pre-match press conference.

Badoni, who is currently one of the best batsmen in India, has scored 693 runs in his 27 List A appearances at a decent average of 36.47 and a strike rate above 93, registering five half-centuries and one century, with a highest score of 100. He has also taken 18 wickets, with best bowling figures of 3/29, while maintaining an economy rate of 4.54 and an average of 29.72.