Consider the 2018 Indian Premier League. The Chennai Super Kings have returned after a two-year absence, with a nearly same core and a few notable acquisitions, including Ambati Rayudu, Deepak Chahar, and Shane Watson.
Their season opens with a historic victory over the Mumbai Indians. MS Dhoni then goes back in time against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. CSK’s chaos theory also catches the Kings XI Punjab off guard in Pune.
Faf du Plessis delivers a great knock against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the playoffs. Only a few days later, Watson blazes away to his second IPL tonne of the season, propelling CSK to their third IPL triumph.
When people talk about the IPL 2018 season, they always emphasise how Dhoni built the Dad’s Army and then guided them to victory. There is discussion on how Watson scored when it counted most, and how Chahar and Shardul Thakur handled the bowling duties.
But if you look closely at that season, one of the most notable roles was played by Ambati Rayudu. He ended up hitting over 600 runs, coming up clutch when CSK needed him most, and even earning a call-up to the Indian cricket team.
Three years later, he delivered another memorable season. It was not as many runs as in 2018, but he hit more than 150 in the 2021 IPL, accomplishing exactly what CSK needed him to do in the middle order. No rewards for predicting who won the championship that season.
Ambati Rayudu had all these superstars around him while he was part of the MI setup, including Kieron Pollard, Rohit Sharma Hardik Pandya, and Lendl Simmons.
Regardless, Ambati Rayudu was a crucial gear in that MI wheel. The squad knew it as did those who played with him. Despite not being at his best this year, he is still respected and liked by his teammates. His five IPL titles attest to this.
Rayudu’s career has never been portrayed by the media as a batting superstar. When it came to disputes and run-ins, he was one of their favourites. There always appeared to be someone who was hyped up more than Ambati Rayudu, despite the latter being just as brilliant (or more) than those around him.
Ambati Rayudu’s last IPL match
As Ambati Rayudu prepares to play his farewell game in the IPL final, there is no assurance that he will be able to turn back the clock. That is irrelevant, because he has already done all that any team could have requested of any player.
His statistics may not rank him in the pantheon of the league’s most prolific run scorers. His average and strike rate will not be among the greatest in IPL history.
But one look at his hitting and ability to clutch and you will see why he was, is, and will continue to be loved by two large fan groups.