Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan questioned Ayush Badoni’s ODI selection vs New Zealand, citing his underwhelming domestic form and inconsistency, and felt the Delhi batter had potential but was not yet ready for international cricket.
Former Team India all-rounder turned commentator Irfan Pathan was left surprised by head coach Gautam Gambhir-led management to select Ayush Badoni to India’s squad for the three-match ODI series against New Zealand.
Ayush Badoni was added to the India squad as a replacement for spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar, who was ruled out of the remainder of the New Zealand ODI series after sustaining a side strain in the opening match at Kotam Stadium in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11. However, Badoni’s selection call came as a surprise for fans and experts, as he was not a like-for-like replacement for Sundar.
Former India opener and BCCI chief selector, Kris Srikkanth, questioned the logic behind Ayush Badoni’s selection, calling it ‘unfair’ and suggesting that the selection criteria have been ‘inconsistent’, with his recent domestic form not justifying his place in the India squad for the ODI series against New Zealand.
‘Absolutely Couldn’t Make Sense Of It’
Ayush Badoni’s selection to the India squad for the ODI series against New Zealand became a major talking point for the fans and experts, as Delhi batter’s maiden national call-up raised questions about consistency in the selection. Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan could not fathom Badoni’s maiden India call-up as a replacement for Washington Sundar.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan bluntly stated that he could not understand the rationale behind Badoni’s selection. The former Indian cricketer acknowledged his young batter’s potential, but doubted whether he is ready to play international cricket, given his performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
“I didn’t understand it at all. I absolutely couldn’t make sense of it. It was completely out of left field,” Irfan Pathan said.
“I even went and checked his scores in the recent past, in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and this one as well. I think he is a high-potential player, but I don’t know if he is India-ready yet,” he added.
In the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025/26, Ayush Badoni had an abysmal campaign, scoring just 16 runs at an average of 12 in three matches. However, the Delhi cricketer picked up four wickets. In the previous edition of the tournament, Badoni had a moderate outing, scoring 152 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 25.33 in six matches.
Pathan Questions Badoni’s ODI Selection
Further speaking about Ayush Badoni’s selection to the India squad as a replacement for Washington Sundar in the ODI series against New Zealand, the former India cricketer stated that the Delhi batter’s maiden national call-up was surprising as his domestic form hasn’t been outstanding, adding that selectors might have picked him for all-around utility rather than consistent performances, making the call unexpected.
“I was a bit surprised, honestly. I was a bit surprised. Guys like Ayush Badoni have not done that well, right? I mean, he hasn’t exactly set domestic cricket on fire. It hasn’t really happened like that,” Irfan Pathan said.
“He had three decent scores against South Africa A and Australia A, and then in the Vijay Hazare Trophy he picked up four wickets in three games. So they probably thought that he could bowl a bit and bat down the order. But yes, it was a surprise. It really was a surprise,” he added.
Ayush Badoni’s record in List A is not too impressive to justify his ODI selection, as he has amassed just 693 runs, including a fifty and 5 fifties, at an average of 36.47 in 27 matches. Despite being selected to the India squad, Badoni did not get a game in the final two matches of the ODI series against New Zealand in Rajkot and Indore.