Former Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu has announced his return to domestic cricket.
He would be representing Baroda in the upcoming season. The 36-year-old received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Andhra Cricket Association to play all forms of cricket for Baroda.
Rayudu has reunited with Baroda, for whom he previously represented the state from 2012-2014.
He has played for Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, and Vidarbha in his domestic career.
The veteran has played 97 first-class matches, 172 List A games, and 269 T20s. He has scored 17393 runs across formats, including 22 hundred and 104 half-centuries.
Baroda has been making several positive moves ahead of the new season. Earlier, they announced Yusuf Pathan as their mentor.
BCA chief executive Shishir Hattangadi spoke to Espncricinfo and said, “Pathan has been brought in to help nurture young talent. Baroda is a small unit, and the idea is to have someone of Yusuf’s stature to help nurture the talent coming through. We’ve seen players don’t lack ability. It’s their confidence level and mental make-up that needs tweaks. We thought Yusuf would be a perfect fit,”
BCA would also be looking to convince Deepak Hooda to return to Baroda. Notably, Hooda had shifted his base from Baroda to Rajasthan after a fallout with teammate Krunal Pandya.