IPL 2021: "Ambati Rayudu has been the player of the franchise since he joined CSK" - Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir believes Ambati Rayudu has been the Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) standout player ever since he joined the franchise.

Rayudu scored an unbeaten 55 off 43 deliveries in last night's IPL 2021 encounter between CSK and the Delhi Capitals (DC). However, the knock went in vain as the Rishabh Pant-led side chased down the 137-run target to go top of the IPL 2021 points table.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Gautam Gambhir was effusive in his praise for Ambati Rayudu. He said:

"I believe Ambati Rayudu has been the player of the franchise since he joined CSK. He scored runs when he opened or played at No.3 or No.4, he has delivered in whichever position he has played. It is very difficult when your batting order is being shuffled but despite that the way he bats."

The former India opener highlighted that Ambati Rayudu has been CSK's unsung hero. Gambhir explained:

"He had an impact when he used to open with Watson, today he is playing at No.4 and he has a similar impact. We might talk about Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina and the others, but he has probably been the player of the franchise in the last three-four years."

Ambati Rayudu has scored 1495 runs at an impressive average of 35.59 and an equally good strike of 130.11 in the 58 matches he has played for CSK. More than the numbers, the 36-year-old has made telling contributions in crunch situations and was one of the star performers in the franchise's title-winning run in 2018.

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"Ambati Rayudu's form is extremely necessary" - Ajit Agarkar

Ambati Rayudu is a key player in the CSK middle order [P/C: iplt20.com]

Ajit Agarkar pointed out that Ambati Rayudu being in form is crucial for CSK. He reasoned:

"His form is extremely necessary because there is a lot of dependency on Faf du Plessis and Gaikwad at the moment. When they don't score runs, they don't post a big total. So this innings will certainly help."

While acknowledging that Ravindra Jadeja is the in-form player down the order, the former India pacer signed off by stating that Ambati Rayudu needs to carry the middle order. Agarkar observed:

"He also struggled in the beginning but the acceleration he gave helped them get a good finish. Jadeja is definitely scoring runs but he comes down the order. The players who come at No.3, 4 and 5, their role becomes huge when your openers get out, so the middle order being in form at the business end of the tournament is necessary."

CSK will be slightly concerned due to the lack of runs from Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni's willows. Rayudu being amongst the runs should hold them in good stead.