Watch: Ayush Badoni replicates Virat Kohli's celebration after match-winning hit

Ayush Badoni hit the winning runs in LSG's win over DC in IPL 2022 and celebrated like the great Virat Kohli. 
 By Kashish Chadha Apr 8, 2022, 16:54 IST
Ayush Badoni celebrates like Virat Kohli after LSG's win in IPL 2022. ?width=963&height=541&resizemode=4

Ayush Badoni played another fine hand in the end-overs for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022. 

Lucknow Super Giants' (LSG) uncapped Indian batter Ayush Badoni has been one of the stand-out talents to have grabbed the fans' attention in the early days of IPL 2022. Badoni has made a notable contribution in all four of LSG's first four matches. 

In the first, he struck a fighting half-century in a defeat to Gujarat Titans (GT) on IPL debut, before producing exceptional end overs finishing act in victories against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Delhi Capitals (DC), respectively. 

In the encounter against the Capitals (DC) this Thursday (April 7), the 22-year-old batter provided the final touches to LSG's impressive win at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, hitting 10 runs off just 3 balls with one four and one maximum. 

The six that Ayush Badoni hit over the extra cover region against DC's experienced quick Shardul Thakur to finish off the proceedings was followed by an eye-catching celebration where the batter evoked the mighty Virat Kohli. 

Ayush Badoni does a 'Virat Kohli', celebrates victory in IPL 2022 like the great batter 

Hitting Thakur for a thumping maximum to end the game, Ayush Badoni unleashed his own version of the famous pointing-to-the-name celebration by tapping on the back of his shirt. 

This, for fans glued to their sets through the IPL 2022, was a special remembrance of the great Kohli doing exactly that for his milestone celebration during a T20I match against the West Indies back in 2019. 

A fan going by Twitter handle @CricTwts made a fine clip of the moment, where both Badoni and Kohli can be seen doing the exact celebration in one frame. 

Pointing to the back of the shirt to reverberate one's name has been a popular form of celebration for players in sports all over the world. 

In cricket, one of the earliest examples of it was seen during the famous 2002 Natwest Trophy final at Lord's, where England captain Nasser Hussain celebratedly animatedly for his century as a fitting response to his naysayers. 

For Ayush Badoni, too, it was an ideal moment to rub salt into the wounds for DC, a franchise that had reportedly rejected him multiple times in scouting programmes and auditions. Despite his evident talent and promise, DC curiously never considered buying him into their squad. 

But Badoni's moment of reckoning finally came this season after LSG made a bid of encouragement for the youngster in February's mega auction, handing him INR 20 lakhs and backing that up with a regular run in the playing XI. 

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