IPL 2022: Ayush Badoni Reveals Gautam Gambhir's Advice Ahead Of Clash Against Gujarat Titans

The Indian Premier League's motto has always been 'where talent meets opportunity' and this was truly the case on Monday evening as Lucknow Super Giants batter Ayush Badoni rose to the challenge to play a 54-run knock against the Gujarat Titans at the Wankhede Stadium. Lucknow were staring down the barrel at 29/4, but it was Deepak Hooda and Badoni who put on 87 runs for the fifth wicket to help Lucknow post 158/6 in the allotted 20 overs.

It might not have been enough as Gujarat chased down the target with five wickets in hand, but Badoni announced his arrival in style.

The 22-year-old Badoni played a knock of 54 off 41 balls with the help of six fours and two sixes. The batter brought up his half-century off 38 balls. After the match ended, Badoni thanked Lucknow Super Giants mentor Gautam Gambhir for all his support.

"Gautam Bhaiya helped me a lot. He asked me to play my natural game and play the ball, not the bowler. He told me that I would be getting a proper run in the team. He also told me 'you do not need to play according to the situation, there are senior players to do that in the team, so you just play your natural game'," Badoni said during a virtual press conference after the Gujarat-Lucknow encounter.

"I was going unsold in the previous auctions. I had attended camps of 2-3 teams but I did not know if I would be picked. Lucknow showed their faith in me and I am grateful. I had two fifty-plus scores in the trials after Lucknow picked me and this impressed the coaches and that is why they were confident of sending me before Hardik Pandya," added Badoni who was picked up by Lucknow in the auction for Rs 20 lakh.

Not many know, but Badoni hails from Tarak Sinha's Sonnet Club, which has earlier given Rishabh