Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) batter Ambati Rayudu has become a constant talking point on social media. Just a day after his heated debate with former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar, Rayudu clashed on Live TV with Navjot Singh Sidhu. The incident took place during the Punjab Kings (PBKS) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) clash in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday. It all happened when Rayudu accused Sidhu of changing his team by calling him a 'girgit' (chameleon) but received a stern reply.
In a video that has gone viral on social media, Sidhu responded to Rayudu's accusation of changing teams by saying: "Is sansar me girgit ki tarah koi hai to tumhare aradhyadev hai (if there's someone in this world who is like chameleon, it is your idol)".
Here's the video:
Rayudu has developed a reputation of being an unfiltered pundit. His admiration for the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians isn't hidden from anyone. The former India cricketer has also openly criticised Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the past.
Ahead of the Punjab and Chennai clash in the IPL, Rayudu square off against Sanjay Bangar over the role of Rohit Sharma in the current Mumbai Indians setup. As Bangar stressed on Rohit's need on the field, as a strategic partner to skipper Hardik Pandya, Rayudu countered, saying the Mumbai Indians captain doesn't need anyone's inputs.
“I don't think Hardik needs input. A captain needs to be left alone,” Rayudu interjected as Bangar said that Rohit shouldn't be limited to the role of an Impact Substitute. “Dhoni was not at his ears all the time. Same for Rohit. Then why should Hardik have 10 people at his ears?”
“No, captain has to be left alone, Sanjay bhai,” Rayudu further told Bangar before receiving a firm reply. “For you, it was different because you never led an IPL team. But here is a guy who has led the team to multiple IPL titles,” Bangar fired back.
With Rayudu in the commentary box, it's certain that the ongoing IPL 2025 is likely to see some headlines being made from pundits in the panel too.