The Indian cricket star, who had a lion's share in the title win for Chennai Super Kings, is all set to play for Texas Super Kings in the Major League cricket happening in the United States. The right hander batter from Hyderabad will be the first person playing in the MLC who has represented India at the senior level. Prior to this, players like Unmukt Chand who have represented India U-19 in the past are already included in the league.

The MLC is a initiative taken to improve the awareness about the gentlemen's game in United States. The United States, who have been eyeing to include the sport in the Los Angeles Olympics happening in 2028, have started accelerating their efforts to improve the existing structure of the game in their country. In an attempt to do so, they have already included players like Unmukt Chand, Smit Patel and few others from the cricketing nations in their domestic leagues and the Minor League Cricket.

And now ,the addition of the senior India player, Ambati Rayudu would give then viewership from India. Rayudu, who had announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket post the 2023 IPL title win, making this move is a bit of a shock for the Indian fans. However, he might well get the well-deserved respect which he missed in India compared to the talent he always had.

Rayudu was one of the most talented players India had, yet somehow he was undervalued. Right in his debut tour for India A in 2002, he amassed a total of 291 runs in 3 ODIs. The most memorable was the 3rd odi where India was chasing a target of 304 runs, and the lone man standing for the team, 17 year old Rayudu played a mesmerizing knock of 177 runs taking the team to a victory on a pitch difficult for batters. There are many more such knocks from him playing for India A. He was considered to be the next big thing in Indian cricket.

However fate had different plans for him as he was constantly overlooked. He was also a part of the unfortunate ICL , which was banned by BCCI later. The issue between BCCI and ICL cost him and players like him their careers. The result of which, he was not in the first IPL, and it took some time for people to know his name.

But his struggles didn't end either after he became a household name. Having proved his worth in the IPL for a decade, and for the Indian team since 2014, he was considered to be favourite for number 4 spot in 2019 world cup for India. He was tried and tested for year and a half, and he had done well. But in the end , the MSK Prasad led selection committee chose Vijay Shankar over him citing the reason for the later to be a 3 dimensional player. The selection committee said that any injury in the squad would make Rayudu as automatic replacement. Still they chose others over him later when injuries did hit the Indian camp. In this case however, it was not his, but India's misfortune to miss someone like him, which cost us the 2019 world cup.

He never got a chance to be in the playing XI in a world cup, but he grabbed all the opportunities he got to play in the IPL. Playing for the 2 most successful franchises of the IPL, he's the only player to have won the IPL title 6 times in his career. Playing for Mumbai Indians, he won it thrice, and playing for the Ms Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings, he lifted the trophy thrice. And in all those 6 times he was a part of the winning team, he had immensely contributed.

And therefore, the Chennai Super Kings, for whom he played the last IPL, trusted him for the Major League Cricket to represent their franchise Texas Super Kings. As a fan of him, I felt sad to never see him play for India or in the IPL, but seeing him getting selected for the MLC gives me happiness, knowing that he will get the respect he deserves at least in the US cricket circuit. Would now love to see Rayudu showing his magic in United States in the league starting from 13th July .

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