Life, in many ways, has come full circle for Ambati Rayudu. In 2019, before permanently hanging up his boots, he took to social media to allege that corruption was rampant within the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).

Seven years later, Rayudu has returned to help shape the very system he once decried.

As Head of Cricket Operations, he is now working to usher the HCA into a new era built on transparency, with player welfare at the heart of it. Drawing from the lessons of his own career, the 40-year-old said his focus is on ensuring future generations come through a system that is not only demanding but also fair.

“We are doing this because of our love for Hyderabad cricket. I have grown up here, at a time when there was no money in Hyderabad in that elections were done fairly. So much has gone missing over the last 10-15 years and we want to get it back. We want to get positivity back into the association and into Hyderabad cricket,” he told The Hindu.

HCA Secretary M. Jeevan Reddy, meanwhile, declared that Rayudu has been given complete authority over cricket operations

“We’re very excited about the opportunity of doing good and more than that, we just hope that the protocols and checks and balances that we are setting will hold strong, and cricket travels in the right direction,” the former India international added.

Rayudu explained that selectors at the HCA will now be required to fill out a ‘Selection Sheet’ for every player to ensure greater accountability and fairness in the selection process. He also revealed that the HCA plans to use Claude, an AI tool, to minimise human interference in the allocation of umpires, scorers, grounds and other operational responsibilities.

Personnel from the Committee for Cricketing Operations will be in selection meetings to ensure the right questions are asked, he stated.

Rayudu further disclosed that efforts are underway to prepare seaming and turning tracks at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in a bid to improve Hyderabad’s performances in home Ranji Trophy matches.

Jeevan Reddy also said the Hyderabad side that won last season’s Vinoo Mankad Trophy will soon be felicitated alongside the support staff, with cash incentives set to be announced.

Selection Committees named

HCA on Monday announced the constitution of its Senior and Junior Selection Committees, headed by headed by former Hyderabad Ranji openers, for the 2026–27 cricket season to oversee player selections for all HCA-represented tournaments and age-group events.

Senior Selection Committee: P. Akshath Reddy (Chairman), T. Suman, Mehdi Hasan, T. Pavan Kumar, Inder Shekar Reddy.

Junior Selection Committee: Akash Bhandari (Chairman), P. Ramesh Kumar, Shoaib, Sarvesh Kumar, Timothy Kumar.