• Home
  • Cricket News
  • Lsgs Ayush Badoni Locked In Hotel As Ddca Accused Of Pleasing A Bcci Offical

LSG's Ayush Badoni Locked In Hotel As DDCA Accused Of Pleasing A BCCI Offical

image-lrvwpc0zKshitiz Sharma (X.com)

Delhi Cricket Association found itself in a new controversy after an anonymous official exposed corruption and favoritism in team selection during a Ranji Trophy game against Uttar Pradesh. Not only that, highly ranked batter Ayush Badoni got sidelined in the wake of alleged IPL fame.

DDCA had tightened the leash on its players after a horror show in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. Out of the past five innings, Delhi batters only managed to surpass the 200 runs figure in two games.

Moreover, in another shocking development, Delhi team management dropped LSG rising star Ayush Badoni off the playing XI versus UP allegedly to accommodate Kshitiz Sharma, a close aide of a former BCCI official.

An anonymous DDCA official spoke to PTI and claimed the coaches were pressured to play Kshitiz over Badoni due to his influence. Also, Badoni's recent rough patch proved to be a blessing in disguise for people gunning for Kshitiz's inclusion without appropriate merit.

The selection caught my eye when many colleagues ranked Sharma as a decent club-level cricketer and nowhere close to being a batter worthy of Ranji Trophy selection at this point in his career.

"Yes, there was pressure to play Kshitiz and specifically to keep Badoni out of 15, so that he doesn't even get BCCI's allotted match fees. Only 15 players are entitled to BCCI match fees. Since he can't be allowed in PMOA (Players and Match Officials Area), it was thought that it would be better off to keep him in hotel," a senior DDCA official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Things got worse when the unnamed DDCA official revealed how Badoni was not even allowed to travel to the ground with the team. Apparently, the board asked the LSG batter to stay back at the hotel to teach him a lesson. Many office bearers believe IPL's success and fame have got to Ayush's head, and he needs to tone down his arrogance.

The DDCA official also claimed that Ayush Badoni was purposely kept out of the 15-member squad against UP to deprive him of BCCI match fees. Also, the DDCA wanted to save on the cost of Badoni's meals and thus asked him to stay back at the hotel.

After the entire incident caught fire, DDCA president Rohan Jaitley is expected to intervene and ensure fairness in the workflow. Reportedly, Jaitley is keeping a close eye on Kshitiz's performance to plan his next course of action accordingly.