"Made Life A Lot Easier": Ayush Badoni Hails IPL For Shaping His Career

South Delhi Superstarz skipper Ayush Badoni, who hit a record 19 sixes, believes his ability to time the ball is the reason behind a record-smashing 55-ball 165 runs effort in the Delhi Premier League match against North Delhi Strikers. The 24-year-old right-hander's superb effort guiding his team to a 112-run win on Saturday. Ayush, who also shared a 286-run partnership with opener Priyansh Arya for the second wicket, bettered the record for most sixes by a batter in an innings which stood in the name of West Indian great Chris Gayle and Estonia's Sahil Chauhan. They had both hit 18 maximums in T20 games.

"I was just looking to time the ball well, I never thought I would end up hitting 19 sixes in an innings. I just focus on timing the ball and not trying to hit the ball hard," Badoni told PTI Videos.

Badoni, who plays for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, has had a decent run with the bat in the lucrative league in his short cricketing career. After his heroics in the ongoing DPL, the batter would be on the radar of several franchises.

"I am not thinking about the (IPL) mega auction yet; my focus is on winning the Delhi Premier League right now as a skipper," he said.

"Playing in the IPL has made life a lot easier for me as a batter here (DPL). We face world-class bowlers there, and then coming here and playing becomes relatively easy." LSG assistant coach Jonty Rhodes compared Badoni to former Proteas hard-hitting batter Herschelle Gibbs.

"Jonty and I have a great relationship. I want to thank him for his kind words and just want to say that 'see you soon, Jonty'." Badoni has led South Delhi Superstarz from the front. He along with Priyansh Arya have amassed 1,091 runs in the inaugural edition of the DPL. The skipper conceded that good partnerships take the pressure off batters coming down the order.

"I know that Priyansh and I have done well and our batting does help take the pressure off the team. But they come and tell me after the game that they too are eager to contribute with the bat. There are a few youngsters who have impressed and now it is our turn to groom them well," he said.

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