Jersey to Khadi: Cricketer Ambati Rayudu to play his last IPL match; may join YSRCP
In 55 ODIs for India, Rayudu scored 1694 runs with three hundred and 10 fifties at an average of 47-plus
By Sri Lakshmi Muttevi Published on 29 May 2023 3:22 AM GMT
Ahmedabad: Former India ODI specialist and Chennai Super Kings regular Ambati Rayudu on Sunday announced that the IPL final against Gujarat Titans will be his last game in a cash-rich league. The 38-year-old is likely to start his political innings from Andhra Pradesh.
The final of the Indian Premier League 2023 was on Sunday moved to the reserved day after relentless rains delayed the toss and subsequently the start of the summit showdown. The title clash between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings, thus, will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Monday
Rayudu, who had retired from international cricket after being overlooked for the 2019 World Cup in England, had a couple of years back announced his retirement from domestic cricket only to retract his decision later.
However, in a tweet on Sunday, the 38-year-old Hyderabadi said that there won't be any U-turn this time around after scoring 139 runs in 15 games.
2 great teams mi nd csk,204 matches,14 seasons,11 playoffs,8 finals,5 trophies.hopefully 6th tonight. It’s been quite a journey.I have decided that tonight’s final is going to be my last game in the Ipl.i truly hav enjoyed playing this great tournament.Thank u all. No u turn 😂🙏
— ATR (@RayuduAmbati) May 28, 2023
"2 great teams mi and csk, 204 matches, 14 seasons, 11 playoffs, 8 finals, 5 trophies. hopefully 6th tonight. It’s been quite a journey. I have decided that tonight’s final is going to be my last game in the IPL. I truly enjoyed playing in this great tournament. Thank u all. No u-turn," Rayudu tweeted.
In 55 ODIs for India, Rayudu scored 1694 runs with three hundred and 10 fifties at an average of 47-plus.
Rayudu has played 203 IPL games, scoring 4329 runs at a strike rate of 127 with 22 half-centuries and a single century. The 602 runs in the 2018 season for CSK were his best effort.
However, it is understood that once he retires from India's domestic scene, Rayudu is free to play in various franchise leagues as well as veterans' T20 tournaments.
Political entry
Rayudu is dabbling in politics. On May 11, he met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Vijayawada. Sources from CMO told NewsMeter, “Rayudu is likely to join YSRCP ahead of the 2024 assembly election."
With this political debut, Rayudu would be amongst the very few cricketers to choose politics as a career from the Telugu states.
Inputs from Bhaskar Basava and PTI.
