Ambati Rayudu appointed HCA's Director of Cricket Operations
What's the story
Former Indian batter Ambati Rayudu has been appointed as the director of cricket operations for the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). The announcement was made on Monday, marking a major step in HCA's efforts to strengthen its leadership and promote cricket development in the region. Rayudu, who represented India across 61 internationals, will begin his three-year term immediately.
Enthusiasm
Rayudu expresses gratitude for new role
Rayudu took to X to express his excitement over the new role. "I am very happy to announce that I have been appointed as the Head of cricketing operations for HCA. by Justice P Naveen Rao(SMC), M Jeevan reddy (Secretary HCA) and the apex council," he wrote. "It is a great opportunity to clean up a few things but I am more excited to see the immense cricketing talent in Hyderabad and Telangana flourish and produce more players to represent the country."
Previous issues
Controversy surrounding Rayudu and HCA
Rayudu's new role comes after he alleged "rampant corruption" at the HCA in 2019. He had claimed that decisions at the HCA were politicizing team selections. Following this incident, Rayudu left Hyderabad in the 2019/20 season and ended his domestic career with stints at Andhra and Baroda. Notably, Rayudu scored 5,500-plus runs each in First-Class, List A, and T20 cricket.
Career highlights
His overall career stats
Rayudu has played 55 ODIs and six T20Is for Team India, making his debut in 2013. His last international was in 2019 against Australia. Despite being India's designated No. 4 batter, Rayudu missed out on the 2019 ODI World Cup spot. He also won six Indian Premier League (IPL) titles, three each with Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. Rayudu has also played in the CPL and ILT20.