Ambati Rayudu to represent Hyderabad in Ranji Trophy
What’s the story?
Indian batsman Ambati Rayudu will play for Hyderabad in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season.Coming off the back of an erratic but triumphant IPL season, which was hampered to an extent by injuries, Rayudu has shifted his focus to the Ranji season, where he is likely to play for, as well as captain the Hyderabad side, which he had left for Baroda in 2011.
The 31-year-old seems very upbeat about the changes in the HCA and is happy to be coming home, sources close to the middle order batsman have confirmed.
Rayudu has found it extremely difficult to break into the Indian side for the past decade due to his participation in Kapil Dev’s rebel ICL and has found solace in the Ranji Trophy and IPL, for which he works all year around to be in prime shape for.
"Rayudu has got his NoC and is now eligible to play for Hyderabad. We are happy that he has chosen to play for Hyderabad again. He will be seen in action in the local leagues from this week and in fact will be leading India Cements," said Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) secretary T Shesh Narayan on Sunday.
In case you didn’t know…
Rayudu left the Hyderabad team for Vidarbha in 2011, after the former was relegated to the Plate Division of the Ranji Trophy, frustrated with board inefficiency and poor team performance.
He moved to Baroda and produced good knocks for the Rest of India and West Zone in the Irani Cup and Deodhar Trophy, respectively, averaging 45 across six seasons with Baroda, however, after transferring to Vidarbha in the 2016/17 season, he saw limited match time due to a knee injury.
The heart of the matter
Rayudu is an excellent, experienced and talented batsman who has been on the domestic circuit for 15 years now. His decision to leave Hyderabad in 2010 was due to inefficiency and a lack of success, however, now that they are back in the A group, Rayudu seems set to return. The HCA had initiated talks between the two parties, and now it seems to be all but done.
Rayudu has an added incentive to join Hyderabad, with their vacant captaincy slot, as well as the opportunity to play for his home team at the pinnacle of domestic cricket once again. The move, if it happens, will definitely be mutually beneficial.
What’s next?
Rayudu will now look to make the most of a new start for at Hyderabad and bring himself back in contention for a spot in the national setup.He last played for India in their tour to Zimbabwe last year and will hopefully, play for the Men In Blue at some point in 2017.
Rayudu, who was once again snubbed in the Indian squad for the Champions Trophy, will look to find his best form through the season to keep himself in contention for the 2019 World Cup.
Author's Take
The move makes sense and will be music to the ears of the entire Deccan population, who can look forward to the return of their favorite son. This switch will benefit both parties, in the sense that Rayudu can work on finding top form, while Hyderabad can focus on becoming more competitive upon their return to the A group.