'Gautam bhaiya gave me a lot of confidence' - Ayush Badoni credits LSG mentor for his successful IPL debut

Ayush Badoni might have been one of the unfamiliar names coming into the IPL this year, but he certainly has made a statement on his IPL debut for the Lucknow Super Giants in the game against Gujarat Titans. Badoni was bought in the mega auction for just INR 20 lakhs, and not many would have expected him to see him in the playing XI. However, Lucknow backed him in the opening encounter and he repaid the faith with an excellent half-century in a tough circumstance.

Coming to the crease at 29 for 4, there was a lot of pressure on the debutant and he took his time initially. However, after a few deliveries, the 22-year-old was set nicely at the crease and played some scintillating shots including the trademark scoop over the wicketkeeper’s head for a maximum. The right-hander wasn’t bothered by the situation and finished with a 41-ball 54 that included four fours and three sixes. No wonder, he credited his mentor Gautam Gambhir for his successful start, in an interview.

Gautam Gambhir asked me to play my natural game: Ayush Badoni

Badoni mentioned that he was unlucky to have missed out on the Delhi squad and explained the way he worked on his game in the meantime. He recalled his name popping up in the mega auction for the last three years but did not find any buyers. The right-hander thanked former Indian batter Gambhir for backing him and revealed the advice from the latter that gave him a lot of confidence.

“I did not get a chance for Delhi. I enhanced my game, tried new shots, learnt new shots and that helped me in T20 cricket. My name had been coming up [in IPL auctions] for three years, but I went unsold. When my name cropped up [at the latest auction] this time, my heart was racing,” Badoni said to the media as quoted by MSN.com.

“Gautam bhaiya backed me. He just advised me to play the ball, not the bowler. That gave me a lot of confidence. He asked me to play my natural game, stressing that the senior players would handle the match situation. Thus, I could play freely,” he added.