"There wouldn't be too many franchises that would have persevered" - Tom Moody on Ambati Rayudu's cameo vs GT
Tom Moody recently highlighted Ambati Rayudu's importance in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) line-up. His comments came after Chennai defeated the Gujarat Titans (GT) by 15 runs at the Chepauk Stadium on Tuesday to book their IPL 2023 berth.
After being asked to bat first, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway gave the home side a swashbuckling start. However, the Titans pulled things back in the middle overs before CSK shifted gears in the final overs.
The middle-order batters chipped in with handy cameos, including Rayudu, who scored 17 off nine balls at a strike rate of 188.88.
Moody picked Rayudu's case to point out how Chennai trust their players, unlike many other teams. Speaking on ESPNCricinfo at the end of Qualifier 1, Tom Moody said:
"There wouldn't be too many franchises that would have persevered with this player. You look at Rayudu's season, a very indifferent season. He is a seasoned player, and I'm saying in the way that he is an older player. A lot of franchises would have thought, 'Oh, his time has gone.'"
"But just his contribution tonight, it's only small, but it's significant in the scheme of things," he added. "Seventeen off nine balls, that's quite a significant impact at that point of the game. That is the return of the trust and the relationship that they have at CSK."
Ambati Rayudu had a dismal campaign, given his standards. He has been used as a floater in this year's cash-rich league. The veteran batter has accumulated 139 runs at a strike rate of almost 140.
"It's a privilege to see how they operate" - Tom Moody lavishes praise on CSK
The Chennai Super Kings have been one of the most successful teams in IPL's history. They have won the tournament four times, one less than the Mumbai Indians (MI). MS Dhoni and Co. have made it to the IPL playoffs a record 12 times out of 14 seasons.
Tom Moody reckoned that their success can largely be attributed to their consistency in and around the side.
"It is a classic example of stability at a franchise that we have seen over a long period of time," Moody said. "The same coach for every season of the IPL, barring the very first year where Kepler Wessels was coach. Stephen Fleming has moved from a player into a coaching role there and has remained there. So, stability there, he has got stability around the people that he trusts, and he has got pretty much the same group of people around him.
"On the field, you see the same when it comes to the selection of playing XIs," he added. "MS Dhoni is so consistent with his behaviour as a leader. It's just something you sit back and admire. It's a privilege to see how they operate. It is your perfect example of the perfect high-performance environment. It is a great case study if any sporting environment is looking to try and get it right."
Chennai will look to lift their fifth IPL title and equal Mumbai's record for the most titles when they take the field at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, May 28.