Ayush Badoni has made a strong start to the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season after focusing on red-ball practice and meditation during the off-seasonThe Delhi captain has scored 535 runs in four innings, including two double centuries
Share Article
https://www.india.com/sports/cricket/8541444-8541444/
Delhi captain Ayush Badoni slams double century against Gujarat on Day 2 of Ranji Trophy 2026 (Photo: X)
Ayush Badoni’s strong start to the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season has come after a change in his preparation and approach towards the longer formatThe Delhi captain has scored 535 runs in four innings, including two double centuries, and has made a strong case for himself with his performances.
Badoni decided to focus on red-ball cricket after the IPL, knowing that he needed to improve his temperament to succeed in the longer formatThe 26-year-old also turned to meditation to improve his concentration and learn how to bat for longer periods.
“I play white-ball cricket round the yearI understood I had to work on my temperament to bat long in red-ball cricketSo, I only practised with the red ball during the off-season after the IPLEven during the Delhi Premier League, I practised with the red ball,” Badoni told The Times of India.
The batter also spoke about how meditation helped him work on his mental approachHaving spent much of the year playing limited-overs cricket, he wanted to develop the patience required to build big scores in first-class matches.
“I had to find a way to concentrate for a longer periodI had to control my mindSo, I took meditation sessionsMy aim is to play for IndiaI want to play Test cricket and be ready if the selectors need me for the home seriesThat’s why I put in extra work on my off-spin,” he added.
Badoni’s preparation has produced results early in the domestic seasonHe scored 85 against Bengal after taking five wickets in the same match before hitting 217 against GujaratHe followed that with another double century against Jharkhand, becoming only the third Delhi batter after Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli to score double hundreds in consecutive first-class innings.
His innings against Jharkhand also helped Delhi cross the 500-run markDelhi head coach Vijay Dahiya praised the batter’s ability to remain patient and play according to the demands of red-ball cricket.
“He has learnt that restraintIn the last match in Ranchi, the Jharkhand team were blown away with his inningsThey thought 300 was a good score batting first but Badoni got us past 500,” Dahiya told TOI.
Badoni has also continued to work on his off-spin bowlingHe was among Delhi’s leading wicket-takers last season and remains an important option for the team with both bat and ball.
Delhi, however, have had a difficult start to their Ranji Trophy campaign, collecting only four points from their first three matchesBadoni will be central to their plans as they look to improve their position in the tournament.
