Injured Ambati Rayudu ruled out of Zimbabwe tour

Ambati Rayudu has ruled out from the on-going Zimbabwe tour because of an injury, BCCI’s press release stated. The young wicket-keeper batsman, Sanju Samson has been drafted in as a replacement for the injured player.

“The BCCI medical team confirms that Ambati Rayudu has been ruled out of the remaining part of India’s tour to Zimbabwe due to an injury he has sustained while playing the 2nd ODI. Rayudu has pulled his right quadriceps muscle and will require 2 to 3 weeks of rehabilitation”, the press release read.

Rayudu made his ODI debut against the same opposition two years back, where he scored a crucial half-century but has failed to cement his place in the side on a consistent basis.

The Zimbabwe tour was seen as an ideal opportunity for the Mumbai Indians batsman who shined in this season’s IPL to nail down a place for himself in India’s middle order. After a disappointing Bangladesh tour, the series against Zimbabwe was seen tailor made for Rayudu, especially with the bigger players opting to sit out of the tour.

He set about doing just that after playing a match winning knock in the first one-dayer. The unbeaten 124, after coming in at the vital No 3 slot, contributed to nearly half of India’s total and set up the bowlers for a tight victory.

However, the unfortunate injury comes as a blessing in disguise for Kerala lad Sanju Samson who has been called in as the replacement. The 20-year-old was a part of the national team for the one-day series against England last year but didn’t the chance to play.