AMBATI RAYUDU
Ambati Rayudu has been the newest stop-gap arrangement at the no.4 spot for the Indian team. He gave everyone a hope when he performed admirably for the Indian team in the 2018 Asia Cup and the home ODI series against West Indies in 2018.
All this came after he was included in the Indian team following his superlative performance in the 2018 IPL, where he scored 602 runs while both opening the batting and playing in the middle order, including a century and was part of CSK’s IPL winning team.
Rayudu showed his class during the Asia Cup 2018, where he played some very good knocks for the team and then came back strongly scoring his 3rd ODI century and a score of 73 against West Indies at home.
Everyone thought that India has finally found their answer for the no.4 spot, but Rayudu’s performance in the two ODI matches against Australia has reignited the issue.
He has scores of 0 and a very scratchy 24 in two matches. Given that Rayudu retired from FC cricket to focus on white-ball cricket, and that he is 33 years old, his lack of match practice and rustiness was evident against fast bowlers in the Adelaide ODI.
Rayudu might have another chance in the third ODI to come good and cement his place for the 2019 World Cup, else there are other contenders for the role and he might miss the bus for the mega event.
