IPL 2022 | Ayush Badoni credits Gautam Gambhir for backing him to play his natural game

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has always been a platform for youngsters to showcase their talent and make it big. The latest addition to this list would be Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) player Ayush Badoni. On Monday, the 22-year-old scored a brilliant fifty on his IPL debut to help his side reach a respectable score against Gujarat Titans. 

Badoni was quick to thank LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir for always supporting him and backing him to play his natural game. The former Indian great assured the youngster that he would get a longer rope this season. Proper backing can do wonders to a player's confidence, as seen in Badoni's case. 

The Delhi cricketer finished with 54 runs off 41 balls after a watchful start, with his side reeling at 29/4. The highlight of his innings was how he played some brilliant shots against some of the best bowlers in the world. He pulled a ball for a maximum against Lockie Ferguson, which left everyone in awe.

"Gautam bhaiya backed me a lot. He told me to play just my natural game. He told me you won't get the one-odd match, but you will get a proper run. He also told me, 'you don't need to play according to the situation. There are senior players to do that. So you show us your natural game," Badoni stated during the post-match press conference.

Earlier, LSG picked Badoni at his base price of INR 20 lakh. In the game against GT, he proved to be a good purchase with his performance with the bat. "My name had been coming for three consecutive years, and I was going unsold every time," he said. 

Many were surprised to see his promotion ahead of Krunal Pandya, but he justified the management's decision with his gritty knock. 

"After Lucknow picked me, I had scores of fifty-plus in two trial games. That impressed Gautam bhaiya and the coaches Vijay sir and Andy Flower and hence they were confident of sending me before Krunal Pandya," he concluded. 

However, Gujarat Titans won the match by five wickets, but Badoni's knock is something every cricket fan will remember. It is just the start of the season, and such a performance will give the youngster a lot of confidence.