Ambati Rayudu: The answer to the No.4 spot problem for India?

Ambati Rayudu had a splendid IPL this year. He played a major role in Chennai Super Kings' victorious campaign by scoring 602 runs at an average of 43.00 and a strike-rate of 149.75. He batted as an opener and at No.4 with an equal amount of success. As expected, he earned a national call-up to the ODI leg of the England tour that followed. Unfortunately, he couldn't clear the Yo-Yo test, a mandatory fitness test to get into the India squad.

Getting called for the national duty after 2016 and then, getting rejected because of a fitness test, Rayudu would have been extremely disappointed. He was disappointed but that didn't deter him from trying hard to clear the Yo-Yo test. He cleared the test in his second go and did well for India A in a quadrangular series featuring South Africa A and Australia A.

His determination and hard work paid off and the right-hander was recalled to the India squad for the ongoing Asia Cup. With regular skipper Virat Kohli is rested, he got a chance to play at the pivotal No.3 position in the first four matches and played as an opener in the Super Four match against Afghanistan when regular openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan opted for rest.

The Andhra-born player has made full use of the opportunity and has amassed 173 runs at an excellent average of 57.67 and a strike-rate of 81.99, including a couple of fifties so far. He made 60 off 70 balls in the first game against Hong Kong and more importantly, stitched a 116-run partnership with Shikhar Dhawan (127 off 120) for the second wicket.

He scored an unbeaten 31 off 46 balls in the group stage match against Pakistan and did the finishing duties with Dinesh Karthik (31* off 37). Although he failed (13 off 28) against Bangladesh, he did finish the match against Pakistan in the Super Four stage by making 12* off 18 balls. Promoted to bat as an opener in the Super Four match against Afghanistan, he scored a quick-fire 57 off 49 deliveries and thereby, adding 110 runs with fellow opener KL Rahul (60 off 66).

When the squad for the Asia Cup announced, India's middle-order woes was the talk of the town. Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Manish Pandey, KL Rahul and Kedhar Jadhav have been fighting for the two spots in the middle-order. Now, Indian think-tank would be happy as Rayudu has come out with flying colours. Karthik's form has been another positive.

With the consistent performances, Rayudu has shown one and all that he is certainly a front-runner for the vacant middle-order spots for the ODI World Cup in 2019 in England. Rayudu has a good record there as he averages 117.00 and strikes at 81.81, by scoring half-centuries in both the matches that he batted.

When Kohli comes back to the playing eleven, Rayudu may have to move to No.4. He has the credentials to make that spot his own as he knows to anchor the innings as well as to hit the big ones. He has a career average of a phenomenal 51.16 but his strike-rate is still a work in progress, 77.03.

If Rayudu can score quick runs as he showed in the IPL and in the final Super Four match against Afghanistan, he'll surely be going to play for India for a long time. For now, he has to do well in the Asia Cup final on Friday if India are to win.