Return of the rebel

Published>Sun, Mar 14 10 05:47 AM

For a long time, the name Ambati Rayudu stood for a tragic tale in Indian cricket. From being touted as a potential superstar during his teen years, the 24-year-old Hyderabadi batsman's foray into near oblivion was as rapid as it was startling.??

So when Rayudu pumped his fist and raised his bat to the packed crowd at the CCI after reaching his half-century on Saturday, it didn't just reveal the excitement of a young cricketer making his first meaningful mark on a big stage, but it signaled the beginning of his long-awaited redemption.

With the Mumbai Indians having lost both Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya in quick succession, it wasn't a very pleasant situation in which Rayudu walked into bat. But given his first serious opportunity to showcase his prodigious talent in front of a major audience, he began with a bang. When he flicked his first ball to mid-wicket for four it seemed as if he had rediscovered the touch that made him stand out on the junior circuit a few years back. This was followed by Rayudu launching himself into shots on both sides of the wicket, including an ingenious flick over mid-wicket off Yusuf Pathan for six, before finally falling for a 33-ball 55.

Rayudu's domestic career had started in dream fashion around eight years back and he then went on to lead the Indian under-19 team to the World Cup semi-finals in 2004.????

While a number of his teammates?Irfan Pathan, Dinesh Karthik and Suresh Raina ? went onto receive higher honours not long after, the young Hyderabadi remained on the fringes. Many believed he should have been blooded in before any of the other three.?

That was the last one heard of Rayudu. The only news that surfaced about him thereafter was him repeatedly having issues with the team management or getting into a brawl with a team mate on the field. And when he became one of the first domestic cricketers to sign his allegiance with the rebel ICL in 2007, it seemed the Rayudu-saga had finally come to a desultory end.

With Mumbai Indians recording the costliest buy for Season 3 by roping in Kieron Pollard, the signing up a number of ICL returnees almost went unnoticed. Among the lot, Rayudu had been the most successful batsman during the two years of the rebel league. On Saturday, he made his presence felt after returning to the BCCI fold and also brought himself back into people's imaginations.

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