Cricket Bloopers: When Ambati Rayudu Became a Meme Machine
Ambati Rayudu, who was once a star performer for the Indian team in the middle order, now stands as one of the biggest meme machines over the past few years. His cricketing career was surely filled with various ups and downs, but ever since his retirement from the international format and also the IPL, he has found himself more popular than before.
From hilarious tweets to commentary talks, his career has now been filled with moments where he unwantedly becomes the meme machine. Let’s take a look at some moments where Rayudu invited trolls and memes with his actions.
Pietersen Calls Rayudu a Joker
A moment when Ambati Rayudu invited trolls and memes towards him came during the IPL 2024 final. The match was being played between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad, as Kevin Pietersen backed KKR to win its third IPL title and even wore his dress matching the team’s jersey colour. On the other hand, Ambati Rayudu wore Orange during the match, expressing his support for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
But as the match came to an end and the post-match interview began, Rayudu was seen in a Purple colour dress, showcasing that he also supported the Kolkata Knight Riders. Kevin Pietersen pointed that out and even the host Mayanti Langer took a note of the change.
Pietersen said:
I’ve at least held firm. I wore it and I owned it. You are a joker, always a joker.
This jibe also left Langer and Matthew Hayden in splits, as Ambati Rayudu couldn’t also help but laugh at this moment. He went on by saying:
I am supporting both the teams. I am supporting good cricket.
The moment invited a lot of trolls for Ambati Rayudu, as fans said that he doesn’t even hold respect among those who are in the commentary panel.
But this jibe by Kevin Pietersen also spread a lot quicker than expected, and the trolling went to a new level. For this, Pietersen also took to his social media to calm down and stop trolling Ambati Rayudu for the words which have used. The call by Kevin was just to ensure that if anyone had to troll Rayudu, it shall be done respectfully.
Rayudu Tagged ‘Girgit’ by Sidhu
Ambati Rayudu has invited trolls through his commentary not only once but multiple times, and an occasion coming in the IPL 2025 season. Punjab Kings and Chennai Super Kings went against each other for a league stage match in the tournament, where Rayudu and Navjot Singh Sidhu were a part of the Hindi commentary panel.
During the match, Rayudu first took a jibe at Sidhu, calling him a ‘girgit’, which is a Hindi word for a Chameleon. He said this to convey that Sidhu doesn’t show any loyalty to one team in the tournament, and shifts his favourite teams throughout. But Navjot Singh Sidhu, known for his hilarious remarks, took this as an opportunity to get back at Rayudu.
He responded by saying:
What you are saying is completely wrong. Girgit agar kisi ka aaradhyadev hai toh woh tumhara hai.
Thus, it came out as a hilarious jibe not only at Rayudu but also at his idol, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The former CSK player has been known for his unwavering love and support for MS Dhoni and the CSK team.
This moment invited the trolls to make even more memes against Ambati Rayudu, and various fans even stepped up in support of Navjot Singh Sidhu. Earlier in this match, Rayudu also went against Bangar, who said that Rohit Sharma gets himself involved in the team discussions and strategies with Hardik Pandya for the team’s good. To this, Rayudu disagreed and talked about the incidents that took place in MI during the 2024 campaign.
Rayudu’s Dhoni Shoutout Sparks Reactions
Ambati Rayudu has always been known in the commentary panel as the one who is fond of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Whether the match involves Chennai Super Kings or not, he brings the context of Captain Cool out of nowhere, which sometimes could also be irritating. For this, he has also received several backlashes from the cricket fans, not from the opponent franchises but also from CSK.
I was a Thala’s fan
— ATR (@RayuduAmbati) April 10, 2025
I am a Thala’s fan
I will always be a Thala’s fan.
No matter what anyone thinks or does. It will not make a one percent difference.
So please stop spending money on paid pr and donate that to charity. Lot of underprivileged people can benefit.
Responding to the trolls for his commentary, he tweeted:
I was a Thala’s fan. I am a Thala’s fan. I will always be a Thala’s fan. No matter what anyone thinks or does. It will not make a one percent difference. So please stop spending money on paid pr and donate that to charity. A lot of underprivileged people can benefit.
Although this tweet was regarding his love and support for MS Dhoni, it also invited a lot of memes and trolls, knowing the fact that it came during the Indian Premier League 2025 season. Various Twitter users responded to his tweet, calling him a Joker, and some of them even asked him to join politics for the way he supports one and goes against the others.
The tweet by Rayudu was not just about the fandom; it was also about the paid PR campaigns which went against him and MS Dhoni. But the reactions showcased by fans were generally mixed, as some CSK fans were also seen trolling Ambati Rayudu for his remarks.
RCB Knock Out CSK, Rayudu Gets Emotional
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings have been fierce rivals in the IPL since the 2024 season. When both teams went against each other in a do-or-die clash in IPL 2024, it was RCB who came out on top and not only secured a win, but they also knocked out Chennai Super Kings from the playoffs race.
When Chennai needed 10 runs off the last two balls to secure a win, Yash Dayal bowled a dot ball to Jadeja. At this time, Ambati Rayudu was spotted in tears in the commentary panel, showcasing his genuine emotions for the team that he has supported for a long time. But he didn’t take the time to get back to normal and started taking some digs at RCB.
He went on by saying, “RCB have already won the IPL,” reminding that the team would not won the IPL title if they had qualified for the playoffs. This moment and spotting Rayudu in tears after the match invited a lot of trolls for him, as one of the fans said, “We hope Ambati Rayudu is doing okay.”
But this was definitely not enough, he started targeting the RCB team and its fanbase, as he also posted a video on his Instagram, talking about the five titles won by CSK. Some fans even said that Rayudu should accept the fact that CSK fell short of beating RCB and not troll the team on his social media handles.
Rayudu’s 2022 Retirement U-Turn
Ambati Rayudu, who already announced his retirement from the international format in 2019, had a habit of retiring from the IPL. During IPL 2022, he tweeted:
I am happy to announce that this will be my last IPL. I have had a wonderful time playing it and being a part of 2 great teams for 13 years.
This tweet by Rayudu came just a few days before the end of the season, and made the fans worried that this season would be his last. But a few hours later, the tweet got mysteriously deleted, and some fans even thought that Rayudu had made this decision quickly and came out of retirement in a few hours. On this matter, the CSK CEO said that he talked with Rayudu about his retirement, and the intervention of the franchise prevented him from retiring.
However, the act of posting about retirement and taking it back just a few hours later invited various memes and trolls for Rayudu. A Twitter user said that, “Rayudu retires more than the WiFi router at my house,” and the entire Twitter handle was filled with such memes, focusing on how Rayudu went from retired to not retired.
But he took this opportunity to stage a comeback in the IPL 2023 season, where Chennai Super Kings won the title by defeating Gujarat Titans in the final clash. It became the last season for Ambati Rayudu to play in the IPL for CSK, as he announced his retirement following the same and became a part of the commentary panel.
Special Mention: Rayudu’s Iconic 3D Tweet
Amidst all the funny moments where Rayudu invited memes and trolls, the one during the 2019 World Cup surely deserves a special mention. Following the squad selection for the World Cup, Ambati Rayudu became the centre of attention after he was excluded from the Indian team, despite being the top choice to bat at number four.
The Indian team selectors picked Vijay Shankar in his place, as the Chief Selector, MSK Prasad, also talked about preferring Shankar over Rayudu. He responded to the media by saying that the team has picked Vijay Shankar because he is a three-dimensional player. After this, Ambati Rayudu tweeted via his official account, saying “Just ordered a new set of 3D glasses to watch the World Cup.”
This tweet by Rayudu quickly went viral on the internet, with fans also describing it as a perfect mic-drop moment, where Rayudu targeted the selectors and made a three-dimensional remark about Vijay Shankar. Various cricket lovers, meme creators, and even those who stood neutral came in to grab the opportunity to share in the laughter and offer their support.
Although Ambati Rayudu was known for his calm behaviour, this incident highlighted the funny character he hides behind his sportsman personality. After this incident, in the same year, Rayudu also announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket, which came as a shock to the Indian team and fans.
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