Way back in 2002, a spirited India U-19 team toured England. Led by an immensely talented 16-year-old, they chased down a target of 303, something which was considered nearly impossible in those days. But an exemplary knock of 177 runs made it possible, leaving David Llyod begging the counties to sign him.
Sixteen years since that unparalleled knock, we can spot some famous names in that team who were once important members of the national team. Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan and RP Singh were able to make it big, whereas their skipper evaded attention like none other.
Ambati Rayudu has dodged attention all throughout his career despite tremendous consistency. The Guntur lad has found a vacancy in the team only when someone was injured. The beginning, though, was smooth for Rayudu. Impressing the then Hyderabad skipper Venkatapathy Raju, Rayudu had sneaked into the state team.
Scoring an unbeaten 63 in his debut international game against Zimbabwe, Rayudu had created a mirage.
But with youth and exuberance came aggression that was directed in a wrong direction. Rayudu has had a tryst with disobedience, something that earned him the tag of a rebel and made him known for his actions instead of his game.
After a brawl with Hyderabad Cricket Association, Ambati Rayudu joined Andhra, only to return to Hyderabad. He had a fallout with HCA once again and joined Baroda and then Vidarbha, before returning to his first team for the second time. He risked his career by playing in the Indian Cricket League without thinking about the consequence. Luckily, he got an amnesty from BCCI. While these 'uncricketing' matters kept Rayudu busy, his contemporaries were climbing up the ladder.
Nonetheless, Rayudu’s faulty disciplinary record should not be mixed with his impeccable consistency. He has delivered every time he was asked to.
Unfortunately, he found himself in a team comprising some of the most talented batters of the game, and thus found it tough to become a regular.
At 32, it is surprising that Rayudu has got only 34 ODI opportunities thus far. However, an average of 50.23 speaks for his consistency. To put that into perspective, his Under-19 teammate Suresh Raina averages 35.46 in ODIs and has played 223 games. Another U-19 teammate, Dinesh Karthik represented India 79 times despite having an average of less than 30.
Known for their knack of unearthing hidden talent, Mumbai Indians included Rayudu in their team in 2010. And barring the 2013 season, he had a successful time with them. But in 2017, he was again caught in the same unfortunate loop. New talents rising to the occasion knocked Rayudu off his perch and he warmed the bench. Déjà vu.
After 114 matches, MI found Rayudu of less importance. They are not to be blamed because majority of the franchises had then thought that way. His name in the IPL 2018 auction fetched a lukewarm response and Chennai Super Kings signed him on for a mere INR 2.2 crore.
As expected, Rayudu was expected to be an injury backup and work as a second fiddle to Murali Vijay. However, his fortune took a turn once again and Vijay injured his ribs ahead of the tournament. Rayudu was asked to open the innings, something he is not accustomed to. With scores of 22 and 39, he was looking well-settled when Suresh Raina suffered a calf injury and he was shifted to number 3.
MS Dhoni had once told Rayudu at an international game, “You are standing like a volleyball on the crease.” At CSK, he has been used just like a volleyball, swinging from one place to the other, thereby fitting perfectly into the definition of a 'utility cricketer'.
CSK’s real test came when they faced the best bowling lineup of the tournament in Sunrisers Hyderabad. Matching their reputation, SRH bowlers wreaked havoc and after 10 overs, CSK were 54/2. It was then that Rayudu came and smashed 79 runs in just 37 deliveries.
Surprisingly, he was used as an opener again in the very next game against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Though his batting positions changed like anything, his form did not. Rayudu amassed 82 runs off 53 balls to chase down a humongous target of 206. In CSK’s last game against SRH, Rayudu scored his and this edition's first ton in just 62 balls.
CSK have already qualified for the play-offs and their fans will point to MS Dhoni’s extraordinary season or Shane Watson’s scintillating form as their secret to success. Rayudu must be accustomed to not getting due credit by now, but he got a reward in form of a national call-up for the ODIs against England.
But will he get a chance to play? He might. Or he might be an injury replacement for someone. He may even score a fifty, but what’s next? Rayudu will remain to be the madcap, volatile individual who will engage in a war of words with veterans like Harbhajan Singh. He will continue to remain someone who everyone knew has talent, but never got proper exposure. He will remain the supporting actor who never got a deserving lead role.
(Shuvaditya Bose is a freelance sports journalist who ventures his views for a handful of websites. He can be followed on Facebook at shuva.bose.1 and on Twitter at @shuvabose28. This is an opinion piece and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them.)
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