Ranji Trophy 2024: Delhi Team leaves star IPL batter Ayush Badoni at hotel, dismal show continues against Uttarakhand

All is not alright in the Delhi camp as their Ranji Trophy 2024 campaign is turning out to be a forgettable affair. After playing three games, they have only bagged one point which came from their draw against Jammu and Kashmir. On either side of this result, they lost to Puducherry and Madhya Pradesh.

Delhi are languishing at the bottom of the points table in Elite Group D. Their fourth encounter in the Ranji Trophy began on Friday, January 26, as they squared off against Uttarakhand in Mohali. Strangely, the seven-time winners decided not to keep the talented Ayush Badoni in the first 15, let alone in the playing XI.

Badoni has been going through a lean patch, as he registered scores of 2, 4, 12, 41, and 6 in the five innings he played this year in India's premier domestic red-ball competition. The youngster was asked to stay back at the team hotel at the behest of influential Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) officials on Friday. Leaving Badoni out of the team didn't change Delhi's fortunes, as they were shot out for 147 in the first innings. Now, a senior DDCA official has claimed that dropping the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) cricketer from the squad was done to deprive him of the BCCI match fees. The official has also alleged that there was pressure to play Kshitiz Sharma, who is apparently close to a former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) office bearer.

"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 was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times on conditions of anonymity.

Team managers would have to arrange his meals separately, BCCI wouldn't have paid for it: DDCA Director

It was also strange that Badoni was not even brought to the ground to watch the Ranji Trophy game from the VIP gallery. Besides, a DDCA official cited the unavailability of net and meal obligations during breaks as the key reason for not letting Badoni travel with the team to the ground.

"The team managers would have had to arrange for his meals separately as BCCI wouldn't have paid for it and also during breaks or match, he couldn't have attended the nets as Punjab CA have their camp on. So it was better to keep him in hotel," the official, who is close to a DDCA director explained.

There is a notion that Ayush Badoni has lost his focus after playing a couple of seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL). A senior official claimed that had Badoni scored a century, players like Kshitiz stood no chance of making it into the Ranji squad and his critics would have remained at bay but unfortunately, they have got the chance to have a go at Badoni.

"If Ayush would have scored a 100, those who desperately want to see him out of Delhi cricket wouldn't have got a chance to raise their voice and push for cricketers like Kshitiz, who don't deserve to be in the dressing room. Even he should take blame for not scoring runs," the helpless senior official said.

It is understood that DDCA president Rohan Jaitley could take drastic steps if Delhi doesn't get a positive result from the ongoing game against Uttarakhand. Notably, Kshitiz, who is considered as a decent club-level cricketer, was out for eight in the first innings, bowled by right-arm pacer Abhay Negi.

"Rohan's heart is in right place but it is about time he takes some tough calls. If Kshitiz doesn't score runs in the second innings, the president's intervention would be required," the official added.