Rao made his first-class debut at the early age of 16 with his state team, Andhra, in the 1998–1999 season after being born in Visakhapatnam. His technically good batting won over the coaches and teammates and ensured him a spot in the starting line-up. His batting average in games with a maximum of 50 overs rose as his career did. In 2005, he played his first One-Day International (ODI) match, which was against Sri Lanka. The next year, he travelled to the United Arab Emirates to play against Pakistan on tour, but he was still passed over for national duty.
From 2008 to 2010, he played for the Deccan Chargers, and then in 2011, he joined the Delhi Daredevils. After being released by DD at the end of the 2013 season, he was picked up by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2014 auctions. He then appeared in a handful of games for Sunrisers Hyderabad during the seventh season of the Indian Premier League.
Biography of Venugopal Rao:
- Real name: Yalaka Venugopal Rao
- Other/Nickname: Yalaka
- Profession: former Indian cricketer
- Famous for: middle-order Batter
- Best Performance:
Physical Status:
- Height: N/a
- Weight: N/a
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- Eye Colour: N/A
- Hair Colour: N/a
Personal Life:
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- Date of Birth: June 26, 1982 (40 years)
- Place of Birth: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
- Nationality: Indian
- Hometown: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
- School: N/a
- College: N/a
- Highest Education Qualification: N/A
Family Statistics:
- Marital Status: Unmarried
- Wife: N/A
- Children: N/A
- Parents: N/A
- Siblings: Gnaneshwara Rao (brother)
- Religion: N/A
- Other Hobbies: N/A
Career Statistics:
- ODI Debut: vs. Sri Lanka at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, July 30, 2005
- T20 Debut: Andhra vs Tamil Nadu at Visakhapatnam, April 3, 2007
- IPL Debut: vs. Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, April 20, 2008
- Achievements:
- At age 17, Venugopal Rao made his debut for Andhra Pradesh in first-class cricket. He has led both the India A and Board President XI teams. He pioneered the role of the “super sub” in one-day internationals, a format that is no longer used.
- Rao catapulted South Zone into national contention with an unbeaten 228 as they chased down England A’s 501 for the fourth-highest successful first-class chase.
Here are some lesser-known facts about Venugopal Rao:
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- In 2002, he was a member of India’s U-19 World Cup team.
- Rao was Hyderabad’s lone bright spot in the first season of the Indian Twenty20 League in 2008, when he scored 365 runs at a strike rate of 124.57 in 14 innings.
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