Ayush Badoni Replaces Injured Washington Sundar for Remaining NZ ODIs

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Ayush Badoni Replaces Injured Washington Sundar for Remaining NZ ODIs: Big news has emerged for Indian cricket fans. Amidst the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand, the BCCI has announced a significant change to the Indian team. Following the injury of star all-rounder Washington Sundar, who has been ruled out of the series, the talented Delhi player Ayush Badoni has been included in the Indian squad for the first time.

Why is Washington Sundar out of the IND vs NZ series?

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India suffered a major blow during the first ODI played in Vadodara. While bowling, Washington Sundar experienced sharp pain in his left rib area. Due to this injury, he could only bowl 5 overs and had to leave the field.

However, considering the team's needs, Sundar came out to bat at number 8 and scored 7 runs off 7 balls, but he looked quite uncomfortable. After a medical scan, it was confirmed that his injury was serious and he would not be able to participate in the remaining two matches of the New Zealand ODI series.

Ayush Badoni replaces Washington Sundar

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In Sundar's place, the BCCI has placed its trust in the 26-year-old Delhi all-rounder Ayush Badoni. Badoni will join Team India in Rajkot before the second ODI. This is the biggest moment of his career as he will get the opportunity to wear the national team jersey for the first time.

Who is Ayush Badoni?

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Ayush Badoni is an aggressive right-handed batsman and a useful off-spin bowler from Delhi. His cricketing journey has been quite inspiring:

• A discovery of Sonnet Club: Ayush comes from the famous Sonnet Cricket Club, which has produced legends like Shikhar Dhawan and Rishabh Pant.
• Dravid's discerning eye: Rahul Dravid recognized his talent during his Under-19 days. He played a marathon innings of 185 runs batting at number 7 against Sri Lanka Under-19 and also took 4 wickets.
• IPL Changed His Fortune: After remaining unsold for two years, in 2022, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) included him in the team on Gautam Gambhir's recommendation. In his very first match, he showed the world his capabilities by playing a courageous innings of 54 runs.
• 'Baby AB' Tag: Due to his ability to hit shots all around the ground, KL Rahul gave him the nickname 'Baby AB'.

Ayush Badoni's Cricket Career

Format	Matches	Runs	Wickets
First Class	21	1681	22
List A (ODI)	27	693	18
T20s	96	1788	17

IND vs NZ ODI 2026: India's Updated Squad

Shubman Gill (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (Vice-Captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Ayush Badoni.

Also Read: Full List of WPL Hat-Tricks: Nandini Sharma Becomes the Latest Entry in 2026