Uncapped IPL batter pushes first-class average above 60 with double century on Duleep Trophy debut

Ayush Badoni doubles career first-class run tally with 675 in six innings

In one of two concurrent quarterfinals of the 2025 Duleep Trophy, North Zone were asked to bat first on day one (August 28). They made 405 as Kanhaiya Wadhawan top-scored with 76, and Badoni made 63. Auqib Nabi's 5-28, including four wickets in four balls, then helped them bowl East Zone out for 230 and take a 175-run lead.

1st Quarter Final, North Zone vs East Zone

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North Zone vs East Zone | Duleep Trophy, 2025 | 1st Quarter Final

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BCCI Centre of Excellence 1, Bengaluru

Thursday, August 28th, 2025 04:00am (UTC:+0000)

NZ North Zone

NZ North Zone

405

(93.2) RR: 4.34

658/4

(146.2) RR: 4.50

vs

EZ East Zone

EZ East Zone

230

(56.1) RR: 4.09

North Zone drew with East Zone

Player of the match: Auqib Nabi

Top batter

Ayush Badoni

63 (60)

Top bowler

6/111 (22.2)

Player of the match

Auqib Nabi

44 (33)

5/28 (10.1)

• Ball by ball Over

No Ball by ball available

In North Zone's second innings, Shubham Khajuria fell early before there was a 240-run stand between India U19 World Cup-winning skipper Yash Dhull (133) and Ankit Kumar, standing in as skipper in Shubman Gill's absence. Badoni came to the crease after Dhull was dismissed, and finished day three (August 30) unbeaten on 56.

Also read: 203, retired out: Vidarbha batter becomes first Indian in 81 years on rare list after Duleep Trophy double

Early on day four, he lost the company of Kumar, who fell two short of a maiden first-class double century. but Badoni carried on in the company of Nishant Sindhu, eventually making it to a fourth first-class ton off 123 balls.

With passage to the semifinal already secured on the basis of their first-innings lead, North Zone batted on past lunch, giving Badoni enough time to get past the 200-mark. They declared, and the teams shook hands on a draw at 658-4, with Badoni unbeaten on 204.

Read more: 11 sixes in 12 balls: Kerala batter tears into former IPL quick in phenomenal death-overs acceleration

The 25-year-old from Delhi has made his name as a solid middle-order batter for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, but has quietly started his first-class career in style as well. After two ducks in his first two matches in 2023, he scored his first ton, 191 against Hyderabad.

A stellar recent run of form in red-ball cricket for Badoni is now bookended by two double centuries. His last six innings in the format stretching back to November 2024, read 204*, 63, 99, 44, 60 and 205* – 675 runs at an average of 168.75. Before this run, he had made 655 runs in 11 first-class matches at an average of 40.9. Overall, he now has 1,330 runs to his name, and averages 66.5 after 15 matches.

Ayush Badoni - Record in first-class cricket