IPL 2022: Top 3 Ambati Rayudu knocks in the competition

The second El Clasico of IPL 2022 is set to take place tonight at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai with the Mumbai Indians taking on the Chennai Super Kings. The latter won their previous face-off in a last-ball chase by three wickets.

So far this season, both MI and CSK have struggled, languishing in the bottom two spots in the IPL points table, with CSK winning four and losing seven and MI winning two and losing nine. This would be a do-or-die match for the Chennai Super Kings, who surprisingly still have a shot at the playoffs. A reason to anticipate the Men in Yellow coming out guns blazing tonight.

For CSK, openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway are in sublime touch. Shivam Dube has also been in great form in the middle order. But another batsman that stands out in the CSK camp is veteran Ambati Rayudu. Rayudu has scored 261 runs in 11 games so far and is expected to be in his prime tonight.

Moreover, the veteran CSK batsman has 4,177 runs under his belt in 186 games. He is now three fours away from 350 boundaries in the IPL. Rayudu has played some of his best knocks in the CSK camp and here we will go through three of his best batting performances in the competition's history.

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#1 81* (54) - MI vs RCB in IPL 2012

Ambati Rayudu's 81* (54) helped Mumbai Indians beat Royal Challengers Bangalore back in 2012

Back in 2012 when Rayudu played for Mumbai Indians, he scored his season-best in the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore. While Mumbai had elected to field, RCB opener Tillakaratne Dilshan was giving the MI bowlers a hard time.

But once he fell, none of the RCB batsmen held their ground except for Mayank Agarwal down the order. Agarwal's 64* (30) helped power RCB to 171/6. In response, MI were 44/4, when Ambati Rayudu walked in.

Rayudu held up his end firmly but didn't hesistate to go after the Bangalore bowlers. He thrashed them all over the ground and scored an unbeaten 81 off 54 deliveries, laced with six boundaries and four maximums. With Kieron Pollard's aid at the death, MI crossed the line with two balls and five wickets to spare. Rayudu was rightfully adjudged Player of the Match for his brilliance with the bat.

View the IPL 2022 orange cap here.

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#2 100* (62) - CSK vs SRH in IPL 2018

Ambati Rayudu's IPL best of 100* in 62 balls came against SunRisers Hyderabad in IPL 2018

Ambati Rayudu scored 602 runs in IPL 2018 and his career-best knock came in the 46th match of IPL 2018, when CSK met SunRisers Hyderabad for the second time that season.

CSK put SRH in to bat and despite losing a wicket early on, Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson put up a 123-run stand. With Deepak Hooda's finish in the end, SRH posted a target of 180 for the Men in Yellow.

In response, CSK openers Ambati Rayudu and Shane Watson came at the Orange Army all guns blazing and weaved a partnership of 134 runs before Watson was dismissed. Rayudu kept going, the right-hander scoring an unbeaten century in 62 balls including seven fours and seven sixes. With the help of the great MS Dhoni, CSK won the game with an over and eight wickets to spare.

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#3 78 (39) - CSK vs PBKS in IPL 2022

Ambati Rayudu's 78 off 39 is his best knock in IPL 2022 so far

In the 38th clash of the ongoing IPL 2022, Rayudu scored his season's best thus far but couldn't help his IPL team home. Batting first, the Punjab Kings, with the help of Shikhar Dhawan and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, registered a total of 187/4 in 20 overs.

When it was CSK's turn to bat, they found themselves floundering at 40/3. Rayudu came in further down the order than usual but his knock gave hope to the CSK camp. Rayudu scored 78 (39), with seven boundaries and six sixes to his name, before being felled by a brilliant delivery from Kagiso Rabada.

The batsmen that followed couldn't complete the job and CSK fell short of the target by 11 runs. However, this knock by Rayudu proved to the cricketing fraternity and the world that he still has it and can deliver when required.