Ambati | Indian World Cup Squad | 2015

Tipped to be the next big thing in Indian cricket following his 177 against England Under-19s at Taunton in 2002, Guntur-born Ambati Rayudu has never managed to live up to the hype that surrounded him. Rayudu made his First-Class debut for Hyderabad in 2001-02 at the raw age of 16, but following a feud with the HCA decided to switch to Andhra Pradesh before moving to Baroda in 2010-11.
Rayudu got his maiden national call-up as a replacement for an injured Manoj Tiwary for a T20I against England at Edgbaston. Rayudu finally made his international debut against England at Birmingham, but India lost the game by three runs and Rayudu managed to get three not out batting at number seven.
Rayudu got his chance to play ODIs in Zimbabwe in 2013, where many seniors. He became only the 12th Indian to score an ODI fifty on debut. He got his maiden international ton against Sri Lanka in November 2014 in a home series India won 5-0. Though he has been a sporadic member of the ODI set-up, he was picked in the 15-man squad for World Cup 2015, which surprised many despite his healthy average.
Rayudu has been a regular for Mumbai Indians in IPL since 2010, and was part of the side when they won their maiden IPL and Champion League titles in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Also a part-time wicketkeeper, Rayudu has a double claim for that coveted spot in the Indian middle-order.