Ambati Thirupathi Rayudu born 23 September 1985 is an Indian professional cricketer and current captain of Andhra team in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy championship.

He plays as a middle order right-handed batsman who occasionally holds the wicket and breaks his right arm. He plays for Hyderabad in domestic cricket and Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

For cricket fun, you must be familiar with Ambati Rayudu, an Indian professional cricketer. The batsman and occasional wicket-keeper has been playing for some time and is posting excellent results. In addition, he was the appointed captain of the Andhra team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament. The middle-order right-handed batsman also throws off-breaks with his right arm.

Early Life

Rayudu was born on September 23, 1985 in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India. His father Sambasiva Rao worked in the archives department. Rayudu has said in an interview that his father was his inspiration to take up cricket and send him to a coaching camp when he was in third grade.

Rayudu's father brought him to the cricket academy of former Hyderabad cricketer Vijay Paul in 1992. Paul recalls, "Rayudu's father used to take him on his scooter to cricket camps and to various matches." According to Abdul Azeem, "Rao would stand about 50 meters away and watch Rayudu practice day after day.

Rayudu completed his education at Bhavan's Sri RamaKrishna Vidyalaya, Sainikpuri.

Entry in Cricket

He started his cricket career with the Hyderabad youth teams in 1990, progressing to the U16 and U19 teams. In 2000 he represented India's U15 national team at the ACC U15 Trophy, finishing as the tournament's top run scorer and being named Man of the Match in the final against arch-rivals Pakistan.

After his successful seasons, he got his first chance to play first class cricket with Hyderabad in 2002. Believe it or not, he was only 16 years old. For the next two years he also captained the Indian team at the ICC World Under-19 Championship Cup, held in Bangladesh.

Domestic Career

It can be said that Ranji's 2002-2003 trophy season was Rayudu's golden span, he hit 698 carries with a 69.80 average. He became the youngest player in the history of the tournament to score a double century and a century in the same game.

With the duration form, he was elected A-side in India. He averaged 87 during the 2013 India A Tour of England. He also captained the India U19 team at the 2004 World U19 Championship in Bangladesh.

In 2003 Rayudu played extensively for India A on their tours of the West Indies and England. He averaged 87 on the England tour, after which pundits said he "will definitely be playing for India in the near future". The 17-year-old, "Having been touted as the next big hope for Indian mid-tier batting, Rayudu has had critics raving about his scintillating stroke play and composure under pressure."

However, he had a disappointing stint with India Seniors at the Challenger Trophy in September 2003 where his perceived weakness against short ball was exploited. He then failed to impress at the Emerging Players Tournament, after which he played four games in the following Ranji season, averaging over 54. He led the India U19 national team to the Asia U19 title, going unbeaten 50 times in the final.

International Career

He made his debut in an ODI against Zimbabwe in July 2013, becoming the 12th man to score in half a century in his ODI debut. He retired from international cricket in 2019.

In July 2013 he was selected again for the Tri-Series against West Indies as a substitute for MS Dhoni but still failed to make his debut in the series. Finally the wait was over as he made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe where he formed an effective partnership with Virat Kohli. He became the 12th Indian batsman to go half a century in the debut game in the ODIs.

Ambati Rayudu was considered a reserve batsman despite only playing two games in the four ODI home series against Australia, West Indies, South Africa and New Zealand. He also played in all 2014 Asian Cup matches.

Rayudu continued to be part of India's ODI squads as a reserve batsman in the home series against Australia in October 2013, West Indies in November 2013, as well as on tours to South Africa in December 2013 and New Zealand in January 2014, making only two appearances in the playing eleven in the four series. He played in all 2014 Asian Cup matches and scored 58 goals against Pakistan. He struggled during the three-game ODI tour in Bangladesh and scored two single digits.

Rayudu was called up to the ODI and T20I squads for the Tour of England in July 2014. He played at the third ODI at Nottingham where he picked his first ODI wicket, that of England captain Alastair Cook, and did not fail at 64 Help India to register a six-wicket win. He followed him at 53 in the fifth ODI at Leeds.

He averaged 28.50 in the ODI domestic series against West Indies in October 2014. Rayudu scored his first ODI century in the following series against Sri Lanka, reaching an unbeaten 121 in the second ODI in Ahmedabad and leading India to the goal of 275. During the game he shared more than 100 partnerships with Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli and won his first Man of the Match award for knocking. In the fifth ODI at Ranchi, he made 59 to set up another successful chase and a 5-0 whitewash by Sri Lanka.

Batting Stats

The Indian batsman has competed in various games such as ODI. Ambati Rayudu's cricket bowling statistics in various matches have been recorded as follows:

• ODI; (55 matches) He averaged 47.05, 3 ducks 50 innings, 14 not outs and 1694 runs. He also posted a batting average of 79.0, 145 fours and 30 sixes.
• T20I (6 matches) He had 42 runs, 5 fours and zero sixes. He also had a scoring odd of 84 and an average of 10.5.
• IPL: 166 matches) Here he hit 3795 runs, an average of 29.6 and a scoring rate of 128.7.

Bowling Stats

In his bowling stats, Ambati Rayudu shot 9 innings, 3 wickets, 6.14 economy rate, null 3s, null 5s and a 41.33 average in 55 ODI matches. However, he played 6 T20I matches and 166 IPLs but made no innings, wickets or economy rates.

IPL debut

Ambati Played made his debut in 2010 when he played for the Mumbai Indians at Brabourne Stadium. He made his last debut in the United Arab Emirates in 2014, but this time he played for the Chennai Super Kings.

Mumbai Indians is a team in the Indian Premier League that has always brought talent from the home world to the international scenarios. Ambati Rayudu was one of those talents that Mumbai Indians first bought in 2010. Rayudu remained part of the Maharashtra-based IPL franchise from 2010 to 2017.

Known Facts

• He is a football fan and supports Manchester United.
• During the 2014 season of IPL, Ambati once prepared Biryani for his Chennai Super Kings teammates but the hotel refused to bring outside food. It ignited CSK players and they checked out of the hotel.
• His favorite dish is Hyderabadi Biryani.
• Rayudu is the youngest Ranji player to score a double century and a century in the same match.

Achievements

• He is the youngest player (16 years old) in the history of the Ranji tournament to score a double century and a century in the same game against Andhra in the 2002–03 Ranji season.
• Captain of the India national under-19 cricket team at the 2004 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, which was held in Bangladesh
• Won the Man of the Match award in the ODI match between Sri Lanka and India held on 6 November 2014 in Ahmedabad, India
• Won the Man of the Match award in the ODI match between Zimbabwe and India held in Harare, Zimbabwe on 10 July 2015
• Won the Man of the Series award in the ODI series India vs Zimbabwe held in 2015. It took place in Zimbabwe
• He was selected by Mumbai Indians ahead of the 2011 IPL and quickly became a winning run scorer for the team. In the eight seasons he played for MI, he hit 250+ runs each season.
• In the 2018 IPL, Rayudu joined MS Dhoni-managed Chennai Super Kings where he had 602 runs and a first century in the season.