Ambati Rayudu's cricketing career has been full of many ups and downs. The former India player was tried and tested for the number four spot for a very long time but was treated harshly as he was axed from the Indian squad just before the 2019 World Cup. Former India captain Virat Kohli was extremely vocal about how he had locked in Rayudu as India's only number 4, but what went wrong with his selection is something that nobody could understand.
What surprised many people was the fact that all-rounder Vijay Shankar was picked ahead of Ambati Rayudu when few injury concerns plagued the Indian team and this did not go down well with him. An ugly spat broke out between BCCI and Ambati Rayudu and the latter could never return to the Indian outfit again. Though Rayudu kept on playing for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) but it seems that he is not in the national team's scheme of things.
In recent developments, it has been learned that Rayudu has returned to Baroda and will be playing for the side in the upcoming domestic season. Earlier this year Rayudu had approached the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) and expressed his desire to play for the team. Ambati Rayudu has played a total of 97 first-class matches, from which he has scored 6,151 runs with 210 as his highest score. The former India veteran has also played 55 ODIs and six T20 Internationals at the highest level.
Rayudu who has been like a floater in the domestic circuit has played for many sides including the likes of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, and Vidarbha. Opening up on the matter, a senior BCA official said that the right-handed batter will be playing in the category of a "professional".
(Inputs from PTI)
