Reports: Ambati Rayudu set to make Team India comeback
What's the story?
Having reposed the faith put on him by the Chennai Super Kings, Ambati Rayudu, in a rich vein of form currently, is set to make a comeback to the Indian Team, if reports in The Times of India are to be believed.
"I am excited about his form. He has come out all guns blazing and gives us a few more options," MSK Prasad, Chairman of Selectors, told TOI.
In case you didn't know...
The now 32-year-old Rayudu made his first-class debut in 2002 as a teenager and has played for the Under-19 and India 'A' teams.
He joined the rebel Indian Cricket League in 2007, but was granted amnesty by the BCCI in 2009 and joined the IPL the next year.
He made his Team India debut in 2014 but was dropped from the side after their tour to Zimbabwe in 2016.
The heart of the matter
Rayudu, who represented the Mumbai Indians from 2010 until 2017, was roped in by the Chennai Super Kings in the auctions this year and was bumped up the batting to bolster the top-order.
He currently holds the Orange Cap, with 283 runs in six games at an average of 47.16 and two fifties to his name.
The Indian team have been playing musical chairs with their middle-order options, having tried out the likes of KL Rahul, Manish Pandey, Yuvraj Singh, Kedar Jadhav and Dinesh Karthik at No.4.
What's next?
A month after the IPL ends, the Indian team will travel to England to play three T20Is, as many ODIs and five Tests.
Author's take
It has been a roller-coaster ride for Rayudu, an immensely talented batsman who was touted for a bright future in the early 2000s. From being the captain of the Indian Under-19 team in the 2004 World Cup to being blacklisted by the BCCI for playing in the ICL, Rayudu redeemed himself with stellar knocks for the Mumbai Indians.
With the Super Kings, he has re-invented himself at the top of the order, and deserves a return to the side, especially due to his versatility and the plethora of experience he carries.