Ambati Rayudu was touted as India's next great batting hope ever since he started training at the National Cricket Academy in 2001. A pint-sized, fluent strokemaker with a compact technique, he blazed an unbeaten 177 - after opening the batting - as India's colts completed a clean sweep of a one-day series in England in 2002. The Ranji Trophy season that followed, his first, was also exceptional - including a double-century and a hundred in the same match against Andhra - though he tailed off towards the end of an arduous campaign. He was captain of India's Under-19 team and led the side to the semis of the U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh in 2004. However, his batting since then hasn't matched initial expectations; he has failed to earn a call-up for the national team and has been overtaken by several of his U-19 team-mates, including Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik. (Dileep Premachandran)

• Heroes conquer Badshahs in bowl-out (Apr 6, 2008)
  
• Heroes pip Badshahs in upset win (Apr 4, 2008)
  
• Razzaq stars in narrow win for Heroes (Mar 31, 2008)
  
• Absolem the hero in big Hyderabad win (Mar 21, 2008)
  
• The rebel's tale (Nov 24, 2007)
  

View the full list of 33 related articles

Oct 10, 2008 Ambati Rayudu hits out in his 42-ball 58 © Getty Images

Oct 10, 2008 Ambati Rayudu acknowledges the cheers for his half-century © Getty Images

Apr 6, 2008 Ambati Rayudu's unbeaten 46 enabled the Heroes to tie the second final © ICL

View the full list of 10 related images