Ambati Rayudu, that Indian batter who used to smash it for Mumbai Indians for eight whole IPL seasons and then switched over to Chennai Super Kings for six, bagging three titles with each team, has just picked his dream MI-CSK combined XI. The guy knows what he’s talking about, right? He’s been in the thick of it.
Rayudu, who jumped into the IPL back in 2009 with Mumbai, cheekily put himself in as the impact player. But get this: he’s stacked the rest of the XI with seven Mumbai Indians legends. Talk about loyalty!
He wrapped up his IPL stint with a solid 4348 runs across 204 games. For openers, he went with the iconic Sachin Tendulkar and the ever-reliable Rohit Sharma. Then, at No. 3, he slotted in none other than Mr. IPL himself, Suresh Raina. Tendulkar, who played 78 IPL matches for Mumbai Indians, racked up 2334 runs. Rohit, who became a Mumbai player in IPL 2011, has smashed a crazy 5458 runs in 212 IPL matches as a Mumbai player and even grabbed a wicket.
Raina’s now a commentator but finished his stint with 4687 runs in 176 matches for Chennai. And guess what? He’s still the top Dog run-getter for CSK in IPL history. That’s legend status right there.
𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐗𝐈 𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐗𝐈? 🫣
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 17, 2025
With @RayuduAmbati's MI x CSK playing XI, it looks like no one stands a chance against them 🤯
What are your thoughts on Rayudu's Playing XI? 🤔#IPLonJioStar 👉 SEASON OPENER #KKRvRCB | SAT, 22nd March, 6:30 PM | LIVE on JioHotstar… pic.twitter.com/C0kJQu7bVj
For the middle order, Rayudu went with Mumbai’s Suryakumar Yadav and Kieron Pollard at No. 4 and 5. Then it’s the rock-solid MS Dhoni, followed by Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo. Pollard stuck with Mumbai Indians for all 13 of his IPL seasons and snagged five titles. Bravo was with Mumbai early on but then made the switch to Chennai back in that 2011 IPL change-up.
When it came to the two fast bowlers, Rayudu picked Mumbai’s best: Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga. And for the spinner, he went with Harbhajan Singh. Malinga ended his time with 170 wickets in 122 matches for Mumbai. Bumrah isn’t far behind, with 165 wickets in 133 matches.
Harbhajan was a big part of Mumbai for ages, playing 136 IPL matches, scoring 799 runs, and grabbing 127 wickets. He also had a stint with Chennai in 2018 and 2019, playing 24 matches and taking 23 wickets.
So, there you have it. Rayudu’s dream team. A mix of sheer batting power, incredible all-round skills, and some serious bowling firepower. You wouldn’t want to be on the other side facing that lot!
Ambati Rayudu’s all-time MI-CSK IPL XI: Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga, Harbhajan Singh. Impact player: Ambati Rayudu.
