Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batsman Ambati Rayudu has played a crucial role for his team in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). First, he played a counter-attacking knock while opening the innings then played a matured knock at his favored number 4 slot.

Incidentally, Rayudu scored a match-winning 79 whilst batting at number 4 against SRH on Sunday, much to the delight of the CSK fans. MS Dhoni hailed Ambati Rayudu’s class and versatility in the post-match presentation, as the latter was first asked to play the opener’s role in the absence of Faf, and when Faf returned, was slotted back into his earlier role of a middle-order batsman.

Ambati is a veteran batsman in IPL who served Mumbai Indians (MI) in the first decade of the IPL before being picked up by the Chennai franchise in this year’s mega auctions. However, he has an age-old connection with the CSK franchise as well, as MS Dhoni and team once checked out of a hotel in Hyderabad, because Rayudu wasn’t being allowed in with his homecooked Hyderabadi biryani.

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Rayudu, who is a Hyderabad boy had wanted to meet the CSK team in their hotel when they were featuring in the 2014 Champions league, but the hotel did not allow outside food to be consumed in the hotel premises. Hence, MS Dhoni and other players like Ravindra Jadeja, DJ Bravo etc, checked out of the hotel and the CSK members who were keen on having that biryani had it in the parking lot of the hotel. The gesture was a wonderful one from MS Dhoni, as he did not want to overlook the generosity of Rayudu.

 CSK will now lock horns with RCB in their next game on the 25th of April.