BCCI draws flak over Ayush Badoni’s photoshoot backdrop

Dubai: Even as Ayush Badoni’s surprise inclusion in the Indian squad sparked debate, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly come under criticism for a hastily arranged photoshoot of the 26-year-old that featured an untidy background.

Badoni was drafted into the squad as a replacement for Washington Sundar, who sustained an injury during the series-opening ODI against New Zealand earlier this week in Baroda. The Delhi cricketer was subsequently named in the Indian setup for the remainder of the home ODI series.

As Badoni donned the India jersey for the first time and prepared for a potential international debut, a photograph shared on social media quickly drew attention for the wrong reasons. Rather than celebrating the youngster’s milestone moment, fans were quick to notice and criticise the poorly maintained backdrop behind him, which led to widespread trolling online.

The image, which surfaced on Thursday showed Badoni wearing Team India colours, but the cluttered and untidy setting became the focal point of discussion. Several fans called out both the player and the BCCI, questioning the lack of professionalism and attention to detail in presenting a newly selected international cricketer.

While Badoni was not included in the playing XI for the second ODI, he remains in contention for a maiden international cap in the series decider scheduled to be played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore later this week.

Badoni has been a consistent performer on the domestic circuit, Badoni delivered impactful performances for Delhi in the recently concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025—26, contributing with both bat and ball. He also played a key role in the Vijay Hazare Trophy during the same season.

In first-class cricket, Badoni boasts an impressive batting average of 57.96, having scored 1,681 runs in 32 innings, including four centuries and seven half-centuries. In List A cricket, he averages close to 37 with the bat across 27 matches and has claimed 18 wickets with his off-spin at an excellent economy rate of 4.54.

Badoni has been part of the Lucknow Super Giants franchise since the 2022 IPL season. Across 46 IPL innings, he has amassed 963 runs at a strike rate of 138.56. The franchise retained him ahead of the IPL 2026 auction late last year, underlining their faith in his abilities ahead of the upcoming season.