Four lesser-known records that Ambati Rayudu holds in professional cricket

Ambati Rayudu announced his retirement from all forms of the game including internationals and the IPL following the World Cup snub. Rayudu, who was set to be India’s first-choice No.4 batsman for the mega event at the start of the year, ended up missing out from the squad. Later on, the right-handed batsman couldn’t make the cut despite two players in the squad picked up injuries during the tournament.

Rayudu was a popular name in the cricketing circles from the age of 17 years and was even hailed as the next big thing in Indian cricket and successor of the great Sachin Tendulkar. Things didn’t go well for him in the few years after his debut in the game. The decisions he made at the heat of moment sidelined his career. He finally made his international debut in 2013, after about ten years juggling with the controversies.

Here are four lesser-known records that Ambati Rayudu is holding at the moment:

A solid ODI record

Many speak about Ambati Rayudu’s ODI batting average of 47.05 which is 4th best among all Indian batsmen. However, Rayudu also has a solid record while batting at No.3 and in successful chases in the format. Among players who batted at least 10 times at No.3 in ODIs, Rayudu averages 68.7 which is only behind MS Dhoni’s 82.75. At No.3 position, Rayudu scored 687 runs from 16 innings comprising of his three ODI tons and three half-centuries.

Rayudu’s average of 96.14 in successful chases is also the 2nd best in the one-dayers’ history. (Min: 15 innings) In this list also, he stands behind MS Dhoni who is on top with an average of 102.71. Rayudu scored 673 runs across 19 successful ODI chases. He scored a century and two half-tons in those 19 innings while being unbeaten 12 instances.

The U-19 sensation

When the Indian team were on their tour of England in 2002, the India U-19 unit was dominating the England U-19s. The hosts posted 303/7 in their 50 overs to avoid a whitewash in the 3-match Youth ODI series. Ambati Rayudu, who opened the innings, played a lone hand despite not getting much support from the other end.

Irfan Pathan, who batted at No.3, scored 23 while the No.8 batsman Kuldeep Rawat scored 37; only two players other than Rayudu to cross 20 in Indian innings. Rayudu added 40 runs for the final wicket to complete the chase with 11 balls to spare and also a series wash. Rayudu’s finished with an unbeaten 177 from only 114 balls that included 16 fours and 1 six; the then highest individual score in Youth ODI history.

However, Theo Doropoulos surpassed Rayudu’s knock in less than a year. Hasitha Boyagoda and Jakob Bhula scored 191 and 180 respectively against Kenya in the 2018 U19 World Cup to push Rayudu’s knock to 4th. However, Ambati still has the highest Youth ODI score in a run-chase to his name. Among Indians, Mayank Agarwal in 2009 and Shubman Gill in 2017 came close to Rayudu’s effort by scoring exactly 160.

A double hundred and 150+ in the same first-class match

One of the performances that brought Ambati Rayudu the early limelight was the game against Andhra in the 2002/03 Ranji Trophy season. Rayudu, batting at No.4 for Hyderabad, scored 210 from only 232 balls on the opening day of the match. Hyderabad sneaked in a 1-run lead despite the then Andhra wicketkeeper-captain MSK Prasad’s 130. Ambati scored an unbeaten 159 from only 161 deliveries to set a stiff target but the game ended in a draw.

Till date, only nine players have scored a double century and a 150+ score in the same first-class match. However, Ambati Rayudu is the only Indian to achieve this feat so far. A total of 59 players have scored a double ton and a century in the same first-class game at least once. However, none except Rayudu have recorded such instance before turning 21. Rayudu was only 17 years and 58 days old on the 4th day of the game played at the Gymkhana Ground in Hyderabad.

Youngest player to achieve many feats

With his 210 and 159 not out against Andhra, Rayudu also became the youngest Indian to score twin centuries in first-class cricket and he still holds. Rayudu is overall the 3rd youngest player with twin tons in FC cricket as on today. Aamer Malik was 17 years and 8 days old when he took the field in the 1979/80 seasons against Railways. Playing for Lahore City A, Aamer scored an unbeaten 132 and 110 respectively.

Aamer held the record for 39 years as Afghanistan’s Farhan Zakhil broke it earlier this year during the Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-day Tournament. Zakhil scored 104 and 108 as an opener for Kabul Region against Boost Region, ten days before his 16th birthday. Interestingly, Farhan Zakhil was leading the Kabul team but his knocks were enough for maximum points from the game.

Rayudu, at the age of 17 years and 55 days, is also the 4th youngest player till date to score a double hundred in first-class. Pakistan’s Hasan Raza (15y 213d) and Ijaz Ahmed (16y 94d) scored before turning 17 while among Indians only Reetinder Singh Sodhi (17y 15d) is ahead of Rayudu. Later that a year, Rayudu scored an unbeaten 101 against Surrey in England tour.

He was only 17 years and 295 days old going into the game which made him the youngest player to score a ton for India A in FC cricket. Till date, only one player was younger than Rayudu to score an FC century for any ‘Indian’ team. Sachin Tendulkar scored a century for India in a Test match and a ton for Indians in the warm-up fixture before he was 17 years and 295 days old.