IPL 2022 | 'LSG showed faith in me and I am happy that I delivered'- Ayush Badoni on recent exploits

Latest sensation from the Indian Premier League (IPL), Ayush Badoni has expressed his gratitude towards Lucknow Supergiants (LSG) mentor Gautam Gambhir and skipper KL Rahul for providing him with an opportunity to feature in the cash-rich league from the first game itself.

Badoni, the 22-year-old Delhi batsman, has been in and around the domestic and IPL circuit for a few years now, but he never got a chance to play for any franchise despite featuring in multiple trials before this season.

Finally, it was Lucknow who bid for him in the recent mega-auction, bagging his services at the base price of INR 20 Lakh. 

Normally, an uncapped local player warms the bench for a major part of his first season, but Badoni's obvious talent and temperament persuaded Lucknow to give him a go from the first game.

He didn't disappoint either. The right-handed batsman smashed a crucial half-century for his side in their first-ever IPL game against the Gujarat Titans, where he showcased his skills to the hilt against the likes of Rashid Khan and Lockie Ferguson.

The Delhi went one step ahead in the last game against CSK, smashing an unbeaten 9-ball 19, including a sensational six off Shivam Dube over backward square-leg and a score-levelling six off Mukesh Choudhary during a 211-run chase.

Speaking to the TOI, Badoni thanked Gambhir and Rahul for showing faith in him besides stating that he is satisfied that he has lived up to his billing.

"I am grateful to the Lucknow family and my captain KL Rahul and Gautam bhaiya (Gautam Gambhir) for giving me a chance in the team's first match. They showed faith in me and I am happy that I delivered," he said.

He also revealed that Gambhir came up to him after the match and hugged him, urging him to keep up the excellent work.

"I stayed calm before hitting the six (to tie the scores). When I hit that (almost) match-winning six, I was so happy that I had done the job for my team. KL (Rahul ) applauded me. Once I went inside the dressing room Gautam bhaiya came up to me and hugged me and said 'well played, keep going," he said.

When asked about how he managed to stay so calm under immense pressure, Badoni said:

"Since childhood, I have always tried to take the match to the finish line and then end on a winning note. Sometimes we lost and sometimes we won. I have won many matches for my domestic team. I have learnt a lot from those matches. There were several occasions when I got the chance to bat lower down the order and the team needed lots of runs in a few number of balls. I have won those mathes for my team. So, those were the learnings that are helping me here in the IPL."

Badoni and Lucknow will hope that the young lad continues with the good work in the forthcoming games.