Ambati Rayudu weighed in on the difference in team cultures of Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, explaining how at MI, everything boils down to winning. Ambati Rayudu has revealed the difference between the operation and management of two of IPL’s most popular franchises – Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.
Ambati Rayudu, one of the select few cricketers to have represented both teams, weighed in on how the player growth and monitoring is poles apart at MI and CSK, highlighting how Chennai are more process-based, and Mumbai result-oriented. Rayudu was an integral part of both MI & CSK in their triumphs as he had the knack of playing attacking as well as waiting game for the team.
Ambati Rayudu’s IPL career with MI and CSK
CSK and MI have both won the IPL five times each, making them the joint-most successful franchise in the history of the Indian Premier League. The CSK-MI swap has witnessed several renowned names jump ships such as Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh and Ambati Rayudu himself to name a few. The traditional rivalry, known as the El Clasico of the IPL has dished out some memorable matches, including the IPL 2010, 2013 and 2015 finals. But while the success rate of both these teams are second to none, the way to go about it couldn’t be further.
Ambati Rayudu began his IPL career with MI back in 2010 and remained part of the franchise till 2017, becoming a three-time winner with them. In 2018, Ambati Rayudu switched to CSK and set the season on fire, scoring 602 runs in his maiden year with the franchise.
So impressive was Ambati Rayudu that his season with CSK opened the doors for his India comeback, as he went about becoming their No. 4. However, despite being invested in for the major part of the last 10 months, Ambati Rayudu was dropped from India’s 2019 World Cup squad.
This led to a series of unexpected moves. Ambati Rayudu announced his retirement, only to take it back shortly after. But even though his India career was going through highs and lows, Ambati Rayudu’s love for CSK was constant. In an interview carried out by IPL earlier this year, Ambati Rayudu had shed light on how at MI, everything boils down to winning, something he dwelled on here again.
However, this time around, he took it to another extent, explaining how spending too much time with them can lead to a ‘brain explosion’ – metaphorically of course – and compared it to the calmness of CSK.
I feel CSK has a much better environment- Ambati Rayudu
Former Indian batter Ambati Rayudu opened up on the difference in philosophy between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) by saying the former focuses more on the process while the latter is completely result-oriented. Ambati Rayudu is among the rare players to have played for both franchises during his illustrious IPL career. The 38-year-old was part of the MI setup from 2010 to 2017, including three title runs.
He moved to CSK in 2018 until the end of his career in 2023, winning another three titles with the franchise.
Speaking on Star Sports after MI’s latest defeat to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2024, Rayudu detailed the stark contrasts between MI and CSK despite the incredible success of both franchises.
“I feel CSK has a much better environment. MI mey jydada khelne se brain fatt jayega (Your brain will explode if you will spend more time at MI). Both CSK and MI have two different cultures but at the end of the day, both work hard,” said Rayudu.
He added:
“CSK focuses more on the process. They do not analyse results much. Their mood and mood swings are not because of the results. MI is bit different. MI mostly want to win and their culture is like everything depends on winning. They have a culture of, jeetna hi hai (Win is a must). Winning is non-negotiable,”
CSK and MI have been the benchmark franchises of the IPL with five IPL titles each. However, recent success has belonged to CSK, winning twice in the last three seasons, including their fifth title last year.
When I used to play for MI, my game improved a lot – Ambati Rayudu
Ambati Rayudu felt his game improved drastically during the years with MI, thanks to their high demands for individual performances and team success.
The right-handed batter finished his IPL career with almost 4,000 runs at an average of 29.44 and a strike rate of 127.47 in 175 games.
“When I used to play for MI, my game improved a lot. If you had not won the match, they do not see an excuse. At the end of the day, you have to perform. MI has an environment where you keep getting better and CSK has an environment. Wahaan aapko better bana diya jaata hai (At CSK you are made better and that too without any hassle),” said Rayudu.
Both the high-profile teams have struggled for consistency in the ongoing IPL. While CSK is in fourth place with four wins in seven games, MI is seventh with only three victories in eight outings.