It was great journey with Mumbai Indians but going to CSK was even more special: Ambati Rayudu

In a recent podcast interview, former Indian cricketer and IPL-winning player for CSK and Mumbai, Ambati Rayudu, spoke extensively about his IPL and international career, shedding light on various aspects of his personal and professional life.

When asked about his career highlights in the IPL, he emphasized that playing in different conditions and batting positions was a significant achievement for him, and he considered himself very flexible.

“I would remember myself as being very flexible in a team environment. I would bat open as well as in the middle order and lower middle order. That is one area where I take a lot of pride in, contributing to the team, and I cherish that aspect a lot in my career,” he said on The Ranveer Show in a YouTube podcast.

When asked if he felt regretful leaving Mumbai Indians and joining Chennai Super Kings, Rayudu acknowledged that playing for Mumbai was indeed special. It was a tough decision to leave them, considering he began his IPL career with Mumbai, played eight years for them, won three IPL titles, and secured two Champions League trophies. Reflecting on his time with Mumbai, he expressed gratitude for the great journey they had together.

“Of course, I played eight years for them. I started my IPL career with Mumbai. It was a great journey, and we won three IPLs and two Champions League trophies. We had great times,” he said.

 It was very weird to sit in another dressing room: Rayudu

Discussing his stint with CSK, he mentioned that while playing for Mumbai was special, going to CSK was even more special.  As per Rayudu, he felt a bit weird initially in the CSK jersey as his first game for them was against Mumbai Indians only. Initially, it was strange for him to transition from wearing blue pads to yellow pads and playing against his former team. However, with time, he adapted to the CSK environment.

“Going to CSK was even more special, but it was very weird to sit in another dressing room, put on yellow pads instead of blue, and face Mumbai, who was practicing just two wickets away from me. It was like a whole flashback going on in my head, recalling what we used to do every day. From then on, yeah, I got used to being in CSK,” he added.

When asked about his international career, he conveyed his disappointment regarding its conclusion and the treatment he received from the team management. Rayudu said that the team management thought that he lacked confidence due to his calm and quiet nature.