Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu is working towards changing Hyderabad’s domestic cricket structure through a series of changes at grassroots and professional levels. As Director of Cricket Operations with the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), Rayudu has worked on improving player development, transparency in selection process and upgrading cricket facilities.
A detailed Sportstar report on 13 November 2026 showed how he was trying to build a stronger cricketing system in Hyderabad — “He is trying to build a stronger cricketing system in Hyderabad”, the report said.
More Matches for Age-Group Cricketers
One of Rayudu’s biggest priorities has been to give young cricketers more match opportunities.
Under this new plan Hyderabad’s age group teams are playing far more matches than was required by the regular league calendar. The Sportstar report said that association has planned close to 1,000 match days during the season.
The aim is to expose young players to competitive cricket regularly. Rayudu says regular matches give cricketers confidence, sharpen skills and prepare them for higher levels of competition.
This is also how we must think about young players: the opportunities that helped previous generations develop must be offered to young ones as well.
Wasim Jaffer Joins as Mentor
Another important addition to Hyderabad cricket is former India opener Wasim Jaffer who has joined the setup as a mentor.
Jaffer has domestic cricket experience too; he had a fine first-class career and is one of India’s most successful domestic batters.
He will be able to help young players and coaches understand what competitive cricket is all about. His Ranji Trophy experience could also be useful as Hyderabad looks to improve its domestic record.
Open Trials Give District Players an Opportunity
Rayudu’s changes also aim at making the selection process more accessible.
Open trials are now an opportunity for district level cricketers to visit Gymkhana Ground and compete for places in Hyderabad’s state teams.
This is important for players who may not have been given opportunities through the traditional selection process.
The Hyderabad Cricket Association has also run district talent-hunt programmes which open up other avenues for emerging players into state cricket structure.
Transparent Selection Process
Selection transparency is another important part of Rayudu’s approach.
Every selection and omission is written on a signed sheet, reasons are documented and sent to the association’s oversight committee says Sportstar.
This process is supposed to increase accountability and make selection decisions reviewable when questions are asked.
Rayudu has likened the documentation system to cricket’s Decision Review System: “Records can be used to find mistakes and improve future decisions,” he said.
Rayudu Personally Helps Renovate Gymkhana Ground
One of the most interesting things about Rayudu’s work has been his involvement in improving Gymkhana Ground in Secunderabad which is one of Hyderabad’s iconic venues.
There were delays in funds, equipment and labour. The renovation process was not smooth sailing.
Instead of waiting for the work to stop Rayudu got his own tractor and had a worker from his farm come to help complete the ground preparation. He also talked about how they paid extra when workers were hard to find.
Different types of soil had to be sourced to improve the playing surfaces and head curator Mukesh Kumar also played an important role in this work.
Hyderabad Cricket's Plans for the Future
Rayudu has a vision beyond the immediate improvements.
There are plans for cricket academies in Mahabubnagar and Karimnagar as well as a high performance centre at Uppal. The association is also looking at ways to give competitive league opportunities to players found through open trials.
Women’s cricket is another area Rayudu has identified for development in the future.
The bigger picture is to build systems that continue to work even after individual administrators leave their jobs.
With more match opportunities, better mentors, open selections and improved infrastructure Rayudu is trying to give Hyderabad cricket a stronger foundation for the future.
Comments