Not that long ago, Ambati Rayudu had caused a stir throughout the country after having stated that he would be leaving the game for good since he had been snubbed repeatedly for the Indian World Cup squad. Come today and in just a month’s time, he has not only taken a u-turn on his decision but has also made himself available for selection for red-ball cricket, which he had quit last year to focus on the limited overs formats of the game. If that wasn’t enough, he has now been appointed the domestic team captain.

It was the advise of former Indian cricketers and Hyderabad natives VVS Laxman and David Noel that convinced Rayudu that he still had a long way to go. Rayudu had thanked the two gentlemen along with his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings in his letter to the Hyderabad Cricket Association in which he stated he is making a comeback to the game he loves and apologized later for having made such a hasty decision.

He will take the field as the captain of Hyderabad on September 24 when they herald the beginning of a new domestic season against Karnataka in Bangalore, where they will be playing all their matches. They will also be facing Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Saurashtra, Mumbai and Kerala in the round-robin stage of the tournament.