Ayush Badoni has been appointed to lead Delhi cricket for the 2025-26 domestic season, marking a departure from senior players to a youth strategy for the capital. The 25-year-old all-rounder, who has already captured public attention in the IPL as a player for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), is now tasked with the expectations of performing as the team's captain. 

Badoni has evolved as a player over a long period of time, rather than suddenly making an impact. A product of the Delhi cricket system and a student of the late Tarak Sinha (who coached Rishabh Pant and Shikhar Dhawan among others), Badoni came to the attention as a player more broadly known by the public in the spotlight during the India U-19 Asia Cup win in 2018. Badoni made his senior team debut during the 2020-21 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. However, the IPL is really where Badoni was put on the national map, when LSG signed him for his base price of INR 20 lakh; Badoni made his impact right away in IPL debut with a 54. Since then, Badoni has developed into a dependable finish, scoring 963 runs in 56 IPL matches, while being retained by LSG for INR 4 crore prior to the mega auction in 2025.

Kohli's Support, Young Presence Signals New Phase

Delhi's faith in Badoni's leadership is shaped by his superb displays last season in the Ranji Trophy. He took over leadership in the middle of the season and responded with an extraordinary unbeaten 205 against Jharkhand – his first double century – and was also able to provide some valuable overs of off-spin, proving his worth as a genuine all-rounder. 

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Virat Kohli's stamp of approval is certainly the icing on the cake. Earlier this year, when asked if he would like to lead Delhi again during his domestic return, he rejected the idea and suggested that Badoni should continue. He even worked with him in the nets, signaling his faith in his leadership potential going forward.

The coming season, which will kick off with the Duleep Trophy on August 28, will place him alongside heavyweights such as Mumbai and Karnataka. He has a young core of players, including Anuj Rawat and Sumit Mathur, and a slight possibility here and again of Kohli playing, and Badoni's next challenge is to add aggression and continuity to Delhi's campaign.

From U-19 star to IPL star to now leading Delhi, Badoni's journey is a sign of the evolution of Indian cricket. Whether or not Badoni has what it takes to lead Delhi to silverware will remain to be seen, his appointment certainly brings a buzz of excitement to the upcoming domestic season.