Ambati Rayudu to play for Andhra in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021

If reports are to be believed, Ambati Rayudu is set to represent Andhra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, India's T20 championship which is scheduled to start from January 10.

According to Telangana Today, the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) will officially announce Rayudu’s inclusion in a day or two. BCCI sources confirmed that the former Hyderabad captain obtained his no-objection certificate (NOC) from the board recently, and will most likely take part in the domestic competition.

Notably, Rayudu, who played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their disappointing 2020 IPL campaign, was snubbed by the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) last year.

This is the second time in his career that Ambati Rayudu will play for Andhra

The temperamental right-hander will be playing in Andhra colours for the second time in his career. He was representing Andhra in their match against Hyderabad in Anantpur during the 2005-06 season when the infamous scuffle broke out between him and Arjun Yadav.

In what has been a stop-start career, Ambati Rayudu has been a part of several controversies. Ahead of the 2019 World Cup, Rayudu was one of India’s most prolific batters in the middle-order. He lost form just before the tournament and was dropped from the national squad which created quite a furore.

After continuous snubs from Indian selectors, he announced his retirement in June 2019, only to make himself available in August.

Ambati Rayudu opted out of the Ranji Trophy season last year citing politics in the Hyderabad setup, and added that he wasn't feeling comfortable in the setup. Additionally, he had also criticised HCA for continuing with Arjun Yadav as the coach after a disastrous 2019-20 Ranji season where they lost six of their seven outings.