Indian batsman Ambati Rayudu celebrates his 34th birthday on Monday. Born on September 23, 1985, the right-handed cricketer is a stylish batsman and a popular name in the Indian domestic circuit. The Guntur-born cricketer came into the limelight by playing some splendid innings for Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2011 and 2012 of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The batsman went on to represent India at the highest level and was also part of the 15-member squad in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. However,  the player never really got a good run in international cricket and is considered as one of the most unlucky Indian cricketers.

The right-handed batsman made his debut on July 2013 and immediately stamped his authority by scoring a fifty on debut. To date, Rayudu has represented India in 55 ODIs in which he has amassed 1694 runs with an impressive average of 47.06. Many cricket experts and pundits even believed that Rayudu is the perfect answer to India's number four woes in One-Day International (ODI) cricket. However, Rayudu's form just dipped before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 and the batsman faced the axe from the mega-tournament. Nevertheless, the hunt for India's number four is still on and Rayudu can throw his hat again. Meanwhile, on the occasion of Ambati Rayudu's 34th birthday, let's focus on five best innings played by him. Ambati Rayudu Writes to HCA About Decision to Come Out of Retirement and Availability for Selection in Shorter Formats.

121* Against Sri Lanka in Ahemdabad

Ambati Rayudu was at his best when Sri Lanka toured India in 2014. In the second ODI of the series, the batsman displayed his class and secured a berth in India's 2015 World Cup squad. Chasing a total of 275, Rayudu was promoted to number 3 and came into bat ahead of captain Virat Kohli. The batsman justified the decision by scoring his maiden ton in international cricket. Rayudu made a mockery of the Lankan bowlers and guided India to a comfortable six-wicket victory.

124* Against Zimbabwe in Harare

After warming the benches in the 2015 World Cup, Rayudu finally got a chance in playing XI on India's 2015 Tour of Zimbabwe. In the first ODI, India's inexperienced batting line-up collapsed and it was Rayudu who rescued the Men in Blue. The batsman scored a splendid ton and guided the visitors to 255 in the first innings. The total proved to be just enough as the hosts lost the match by four runs.

100 Against West Indies in Mumbai

In the 4th ODI of West Indies' 2018 Tour of India, skipper Virat Kohli faced a rare failure and Rayudu came into number four. The batsman stitched a match-winning partnership with his former IPL captain Rohit Sharma and dismantled the Windies bowlers. In the process, Rayudu slammed his third ODI ton and guided India to a gigantic score of 377 in the first innings. The target proved to be too much for the visitors and they eventually lost the match by 224 runs.

 81* Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Bengaluru

The right-handed batsman played a spectacular inning in IPL 2012 and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) were defeated in their own den. Chasing a mammoth total of 172 in the second innings, Mumbai's top order collapsed and Rayudu came into bat at number five. The batsman built his innings to perfection and steadied the ship with Kieron Pollard. Rayudu showed some great hitting in the death overs and Mumbai Indians crossed the line with five wickets in hand.

100* Against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Pune

After being sacked from Mumbai Indians, CSK made Rayudu an opener in IPL 2018 and brought the best out of him. In the match Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Rayudu showed no respect against the mighty SRH bowling line-up and slammed his maiden IPL ton. Courtesy Rayudu's spectacular effort, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) chased a total of 180 with ease and won the match by five wickets.

After a heartbreaking snub from India's 2019 World Cup squad, Rayudu decided to hang up his boots from the gentleman's game. However, Rayudu contemplated his decision and soon announced a comeback. The batsman faced a lot of bashing for making such uncertain announcements. Despite all the controversies, Rayudu will be leading Andhra Pradesh in the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy and the batsman will aim to silence his critiques in style.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 23, 2019 09:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).