On the eve of a new Ranji Trophy season, Delhi’s Ayush Badoni faces a daunting test. The 26-year-old will be expected to not just score a heap of runs in the middle-order and guide Delhi’s young batting unit, but also hit the right notes as captain and resurrect his team’s fortunes in the First Class competition. The seven-time Ranji champion hasn’t entered the knockouts since 2017-18.

It isn’t in Badoni’s nature to shy away from a challenge. “I like to take challenges. As a batter, I like it when there is pressure. As a captain too, there is pressure. I will try to keep things simple and rely on my instincts to do what is best in that given moment,” he told The Hindu on Saturday ahead of Delhi’s opening fixture against Bengal in Kalyani.

While Badoni’s average of 54 in the longer format is noteworthy, his return of four hundreds and 10 half-centuries after 38 innings suggests the need to be more ruthless in his pursuit of runs.

“I want to put a price on my wicket. There have been instances when I have played some flamboyant shots to give away my wicket. I want to make the bowlers earn my wicket. If I make a half-century, I don’t want to get carried away. I want to get as many big scores as possible,” he said.

In recent Ranji campaigns, Delhi’s inability to consistently pick 20 wickets has contributed severely to its travails. In the joust against Bengal, the onus will be on pacers Navdeep Saini, Simarjeet Singh, Money Grewal and Divij Mehra to show the way.

“Injuries have been common. We have not always had our main bowlers available,” the skipper lamented. “Apart from Saini, there isn’t much experience. It does take some time. But the hope is that the bowlers have evolved and will take a lot of wickets this season.”