Ambati Rayudu, India’s Reserve WC Batsman, Announces Retirement

Overlook for selection twice during this World Cup, Ambati Rayudu has announced his international retirement, according to Indian Express.

(Photo: AP)

With the Indian team picking Mayank Agarwal to replace the injured Vijay Shankar for the ongoing ICC World Cup, Ambati Rayudu has decided retire from all forms of cricket, a BCCI official has confirmed to PTI.

Rayudu was named as a reserve batsman when the Chairman of Selectors, MSK Prasad, announced India’s 15-man squad for the World Cup back in April.

However, since then, India has needed to replace two batsmen in the team following injuries but both times, Rayudu was not called upon as a replacement.

After Shikhar Dhawan’s thumb injury, Rishabh Pant was was called to England and now Mayank is going to take Shankar’s spot.

The player is yet to make a formal announcement but a BCCI official confirmed that he had sent an email to the board intimating them about his decision.

“I would like to bring to your kind notice that I have come to decision to step away from the sport and retire from all forms and levels of the game,” wrote Rayudu in the email.

Rayudu played 55 ODIs for India, scoring 1694 runs at an average of 47.05. He was yet to make his Test debut.

The 33-year-old last donned the blue jersey during the home series against Australia in March, where he scored 33 runs in 3 ODI innings. He played the 2019 IPL for the Chennai Super Kings, scoring 282 runs in 17 innings.

Declared the preferred number four batsman by captain Virat Kohli not many months ago, Rayudu was ignored for Shankar in India’s final squad for the big event.

Prasad had justified the move by saying that Shankar had "three-dimensional skills". Rayudu had retorted with a dig at that statement with a cheeky social media post.

"Just ordered a new set of 3D glasses to watch the World Cup," Rayudu had tweeted at the time.

He retired from first-class cricket last year to focus on limited-overs format.

He played in the now defunct Indian Cricket League in 2007 which came in the way of his selection to the national side. Eventually though Rayudu found himself among the 79 players, who were pardoned by the BCCI in 2009 for competing in the rebel league. He broke into the national ODI side in 2013 against Zimbabwe.

Once the IPL rolled out, Rayudu was picked by Mumbai Indians before also plying his trade with the Chennai Super Kings.