Lucknow Super Giants surprised many when Ayush Badoni walked out to open instead of Aiden Markram vs PBKS.
The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) are not having the type of season they had hoped for, and they are currently at the 8th position in the points table of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Against Punjab Kings (PBKS), they conceded 254 runs while bowling first, and when they came out to chase the total, they made a surprising decision by opening the innings with Ayush Badoni.
Leaving everyone shocked, the team promoted Badoni to the opening position in place of Aiden Markram. Badoni, who has been the backbone for LSG in the middle order, has been performing well despite the team’s struggles.
In the first match of the season, captain Rishabh Pant himself opened the batting, but after just one failure, he demoted himself. From the next game, they went with their main opening duo of Marsh and Markram.
Why did Ayush Badoni open in PBKS vs LSG clash instead of Aiden Markram?
Aiden Markram (Image Source: BCCI/IPL)
There have been no reports of Markram sustaining an injury during PBKS vs LSG match. He also bowled an over in which he was hit for 32 runs by Punjab batters. The decision to demote him and give a chance to Ayush Badoni is mainly a tactical one by the LSG management and captain Pant.
The decision could be to possibly shield Markram from Arshdeep Singh, who has a strong matchup against him. The ball was swinging, and Arshdeep started really well.
Before this match, Badoni had opened only once in the IPL, and it was against RCB in 2023, where he managed to score just 4 runs off 11 balls. Today, in the clash against PBKS, he scored 35 runs off 21 balls in the powerplay before getting out to Vijaykumar Vyshak.
He has done his job perfectly by seeing off the first few overs and attacking the Punjab bowling. However, it is a big chase, and the batters coming in next will need to fire if Lucknow are to secure 2 points in Mullanpur.
Why is Ayush Badoni opening for LSG vs PBKS instead of Aiden Markram?
The decision could be to possibly shield Markram from Arshdeep, who has a strong matchup against him. The ball was swinging, and Arshdeep started well.
How many innings Badoni has opened in IPL before this game?
Only once Ayush Badoni has opened in the IPL before this game.
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