Not performance or experience, but Gautam Gambhir’s “favour” is what one needs to earn a place in the Indian team this is what many in the Indian cricketing fraternity are now alleging. On Monday, young batter Ayush Badoni was named as the replacement for Washington Sundar, triggering a wave of anger on social media. Netizens questioned the logic behind Badoni’s selection, asking how he earned a national call-up despite a poor showing in domestic cricket. Was this opportunity a result of being Gambhir’s “favourite”?
Just before the New Zealand series began, Rishabh Pant suffered an injury and was ruled out, dealing a major blow to Team India. Even before that setback could settle, another injury struck the squad. Washington Sundar picked up an injury during the first ODI, and it turned out to be serious enough to rule the star all-rounder out of the remainder of the series. Badoni has been added to the squad as his replacement for the next two ODIs.
Cricket fans have heavily criticised the team management’s decision. Badoni failed to make an impact in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring just 16 runs across three innings. Although he did score three half-centuries in the Ranji Trophy and also got runs in the Duleep Trophy, netizens have targeted him primarily over his recent form.
Many believe that Gambhir has liked Badoni since his time as mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants, and that this fondness has now translated into a national call-up. Several fans have also raised questions over the selection logic, pointing out that Badoni is essentially a batter who bowls only occasionally. With spin-bowling all-rounders like Axar Patel already in the squad, why was Badoni chosen as Sundar’s replacement? Is this decision driven by Gambhir’s personal preference?
A section of cricket followers feels that while Badoni may deserve a call-up to the national team, it has come too soon. According to them, Gambhir’s management rushed the decision unnecessarily. Notably, this is the first time the young batter has been called up to the Indian team but the opportunity has become closely intertwined with allegations of favouritism.
