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Experienced Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Ambati Rayudu announced that the IPL 2023 final against the Gujarat Titans (GT) will be his final game in the cash-rich league.
Rayudu took to Twitter to announce his retirement and cheekily mentioned that he will not be making a "U-turn" on his decision.
Incidentally, Rayudu earlier mentioned that IPL 2022 would be his final season in the competition. He, however, deleted it after intervention from the CSK management.
This wasn't the first time Ambati Rayudu had taken a "U-turn" from his retirement. In 2019, he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket after not being selected for the 2019 ODI World Cup. However, he took back his decision and made a comeback to domestic cricket and the IPL.
Despite all these things, one cannot deny the fact that Rayudu has been an underrated player in the IPL all these years. He always slipped under the radar most of the time and has been a "silent assassin" while playing for the Mumbai Indians (MI) and CSK.
On that note, let's look at some of the reasons why Ambati Rayudu should be celebrated as an IPL legend despite being underrated in his career.
#3 Selfless Cricketer
If you have a player who is willing to play wherever you want and is ready to play any kind of role for your team, then he is nothing but a gold dust asset for your side.
Ambati Rayudu has been that kind of selfless cricketer in his whole IPL career, where he gleefully accepted the role of wicketkeeper for Mumbai and batted at almost all positions from opening the innings to No. 8.
Whenever his team was in dire straits, Rayudu bailed them out more often than not. He was kind of a stubborn cricketer with a never-say-die attitude.
His famous last ball six against Lakshmipathy Balaji to help MI into the IPL 2011 Eliminator with the team needing four is still etched in the memory of cricket lovers.
#2 Complete team man
You need a pace hitter; send Ambati Rayudu in the middle. He will smoke those towering sixes, with his trademark step-out inside shots over the covers or flick towards his favorite region of mid-wicket and cow corner. He used to dismantle the lengths of fast bowlers with ease.
If you want to counter the match-ups and spin threats with minimal damage and maximum returns, Rayudu would do it without any fuss.
If one captain used his potential optimally, then it has to be CSK skipper MS Dhoni. He used him as an impact player even before the concept was introduced. This is why Rayudu has a positive impact on games like no other.
With a strike rate of 160.30 against pacers and 143.56 against spinners, Rayudu always makes a short but big impact on the games.
#1 Big Match Player
Ambati Rayudu has been that sort of player who used to have a big-match temperament and a lion's heart to perform in marquee matches like IPL playoffs and finals.
Remember his match-defining partnership with Kieron Pollard in the IPL 2013 final, which helped them post a challenging total of 148 and later defend it?
Rayudu averages a mere 21 in IPL knockouts, which you may not see as a great outing. But his strike rate of 149.63 shows that he most of the time looks to put pressure back on the bowlers to pace the way for his fellow batters.
