Delhi's Ranji Trophy campaign hit a new low on Friday after team's star batsman Ayush Badoni, who is going through a rough patch, was asked to stay at the team hotel at the insistence of powerful officials, who gave the “IPL star” a lesson. Keeping Badoni out of the 15 did not make much difference to Delhi's clumsy batting as Uttarakhand's medium-pace bowlers bowled them out for 147 in a Ranji Trophy Group D match in Mohali. In five completed innings so far this season, Delhi batters have failed to cross the 200 mark three times and the highest individual score is Vaibhaav Kandpal's 49 in the last match. On the day it was Yash Dhull's 47 and at stumps Uttarakhand were 98 for four with Navdeep Saini getting three wickets.
But more than just statistics, Badoni, who scored 41 in the last match and is perhaps the only player in Delhi's current stable to score highly on the domestic circuit, had to be put on the chopping block to accommodate Kshitiz Sharma, who is believed to be close to a former BCCI office bearer.
“Yes, there was pressure to play against Kshitiz and specifically to keep Badoni out of the 15 so that he doesn't even get the allotted match fees from BCCI. Only 15 players are entitled to BCCI match fees. Because he cannot be allowed into PMOA (Players and Match Officials Area), it was thought it would be better to keep him in the hotel,” a senior DDCA official told PTI on condition of anonymity.
But why wasn't he taken to the ground when he could have watched the events from the adjacent VIP gallery? “The team managers should have arranged his meals separately as BCCI would not have paid for them and also during breaks or matches he would not have been able to attend the nets as Punjab CA had their camp. So it was better to keep him in the hotel,” said the official, who is close to a DDCA director.
There is a school of thought that Badoni has lost focus after two seasons of IPL and keeping him in a hotel was a way of teaching him a lesson.
“If Ayush would have scored a 100, those who are desperate to see him out of Delhi cricket would not have had a chance to raise their voices and insist on cricketers like Kshitiz, who do not deserve to be in the dressing room .
“Even he should take the blame for not scoring points,” said the senior umpire, sounding helpless.
Kshitiz, who is considered by many in Delhi to be a decent cricketer at club level, shouldered his arms to an innocuous Abhay Negi delivery that was pitched to length and cut back just enough to pin back the off-stump.
However, it is understood that DDCA president Rohan Jaitley would crack the whip in case anything goes wrong after the current match.
“Rohan's heart is in the right place but it is time for him to take some tough decisions. If Kshitiz fails to score runs in the second innings, the president's intervention would be required,” the official added.
Even more disappointing was the way skipper Himmat Singh dismissed him when Deepak Dhapola, who bowls 120 clicks at mid-on, bowled him through the gate.
Dhull, long considered a prospect for India, has been severely exposed to serious technical issues in his stance and positioning (shoulder and head falling over stump).
The way out is identical as he is being prepared for canal deliveries as Devendra Bora did that day.
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