Is Ambati Rayudu the solution for India's middle order woes in ODI cricket

Early days in cricket

Ambati Rayudu made his ODI debut at the age of 27 against Zimbabwe in 2013. The right-handed, middle-order batsman scored an unbeaten 63 on his debut and guided India to a win. He ended the ODI series with 101 runs in three matches at an average of 50.50.

Rayudu has been in and out of the ODI team ever since he made his debut. He has represented India in 34 ODIs and scored 1055 runs in 31 innings at an average of 50. 24 with two centuries and six half-centuries.

He was rated by many experts as the “next batting star” for India when he impressed one and all with his batting skills in 2001 at the National Cricket Academy.

He captained India in the Under 19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2004 and led his team to the semifinals of the said tournament. He captained the likes of Shikhar Dhawan, R. P. Singh, Robin Uthappa, Irfan Pathan, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina in the Under 19 World Cup.

In the mid-2000’s, he lost favor with the selectors due to disciplinary issues. He later signed for the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) and it seemed that he would never represent India in International cricket.

However, he got a lifeline in 2009 when BCCI allowed the players who had joined the rebel league to make amends. Subsequently, Rayudu was signed up by the Mumbai Indians for the 2010 season of the IPL and since then has not looked back.

Inconsistent run in the ODI team

An impressive IPL season in 2018 has led to the selection of Rayudu in the ODI team

After an impressive debut series, the 2014 season was another impressive one for him. The right-handed batsman scored 584 runs in 18 innings at an average of 44.92 and was tipped to be India's mainstay in the middle order for the 2015 World Cup.

A tri-series against England and Australia in 2015 led to Rayudu's downfall. In three matches in the said series, he could score only 58 runs at an average of 19.33. Though he was selected for the 2015 World Cup, he could not make it to the final 11 in any of the matches.

India toured Zimbabwe in July, 2015. With most of the seniors being rested, Rayudu was given an opportunity to bat at number three in the series. He scored an unbeaten 124 in the first ODI, followed by 41 in the second ODI. Due to his prolific batting, he was named the player of the series despite missing the third ODI due to an injury.

After being ignored for the ODI team for almost a year, Rayudu got another opportunity to play for India in the year 2016. The opponent was once again Zimbabwe. In two ODIs, he scored 103 runs without getting dismissed.

It has been two years since Rayudu has played an ODI for India. He was in prolific form in the 2018 IPL season. Opening the batting for Chennai Super Kings, he scored 602 runs at an impressive average of 43 and strike rate of 149.75 with a century and 3 half centuries.

He was named in the Indian team for the ODI series against England in July, 2018. However, he failed the YoYo fitness test and was subsequently ruled out of the England tour. Rayudu has got another opportunity to play for India in the upcoming Asia Cup.

The new #4 for India in ODI cricket

Rayudu will look to cement his place in the Indian ODI team with strong performances in the Asia Cup

Team India have been struggling to find a middle order batsmen who scores consistently in ODI cricket. In the last couple of years, the likes of K. L. Rahul, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey being tried in the middle order. But none of them have been able to cement their places in the Indian ODI team.

Rayudu will look to make the #4 position his own in ODI cricket. He averages 40.86 batting at #4 in 10 ODI innings. Rayudu could be a vital asset for India in the middle order as he can rotate the strike well and play the big shots as well when required.

Rayudu is still 32 and has a lot of cricket left in him. He can take inspiration from Michael Hussey who made his debut after reaching the age of 30. Hussey turned out to be one of the best finishers the game had ever seen.

Rayudu has been impressive in the limited opportunities he represented India and needs a consistent run in the ODI team. He definitely seems to be the ideal middle order batsman and will be a vital part of the Indian team in the 2019 World Cup in England.