MS Dhoni is the go-to man for every player in team, reveals Ambati Rayudu
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Ambati Rayudu has stated that MS Dhoni had been like a guide for every player during their time together in the Chennai Super Kings camp. Returning to the squad for the Asia Cup, Rayudu also added that no one in the team is thinking of the World Cup with their focus solely on the current tournament.
Like most of Dhoni’s contemporaries, Rayudu has also been one of the many whose career could have taken a different path altogether had the man from Jharkhand not burst onto the scene. Making his debut in the first-class cricket one season after Dhoni, back in 2001-02, Rayudu’s career has been more erratic while the latter went on to attain a legendary status in India’s cricketing history.
However, it doesn’t stop the man from Hyderabad from admiring Dhoni as he went on to credit the former Indian captain for getting his career back on track. In an interview with Indian Express, Rayudu went on to state that Dhoni has helped him a lot and played the mentor role for many players during their IPL stint earlier this year.
“He (Dhoni) has been India’s captain and always been the go-to man for everybody in the team (Chennai Super Kings). He has helped me a lot in terms of how I recovered this season,” said Rayudu.
Mumbai Indians had left Rayudu out to dry this year after he was unable to don the international jersey for two consecutive years, and CSK came to his rescue. Having gone to the yellow army for as low as Rs 2.2 crore, Rayudu scored a whopping 602 runs in 16 matches to help CSK win the title.Â
Rayudu was consequently selected in the India ODI squad for the England tour and had Rayudu not failed the yo-yo test soon after getting replaced by Suresh Raina, one could only imagine what he could have achieved with his then scintillating form. Rayudu hasn’t stopped scoring though and after managing to clear the test in his second attempt, he went onto play for India A in the Tri-Series involving Australia A and South Africa A. He had an unbeaten 62 against Australia A and scored 66 runs against South Africa A at Alur.
When asked about his brief setback and
Rayudu has obviously got his timing right with the comeback in Asia Cup. With Ajinkya Rahane far from consistent, Manish Pandey blowing hot and cool, and Suresh Raina not instilling any confidence either in the selectors, Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik could pretty much cement their place in the middle order for the 2019 WC squad with good performances. However, Rayudu was quick to write it off stating that no one thinking of the gala event next year.
“To be very honest, (I) haven’t thought about it (middle-order conundrum) or looked at it as a competition. It’s just an opportunity to express myself and (I) don’t want to put more pressure
