Ambati Rayudu announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), informing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of his decision with a letter on July 3.
The 33-year-old right-handed batsman, who played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in this season’s IPL, didn’t reveal any specific reason for his retirement, and instead thanked the board, his captains and the national and state teams.
“I would like to bring to your kind notice that I have come to a decision to step away from the sport and retire from all forms and levels of the game. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the BCCI and all the state associations that I have represented which include Hyderabad, Baroda, Andhra and Vidharbha. I also would like to thank the two IPL franchises MI and CSK for their support. It has been a honour and privilege to have represented our country,” he wrote.
“I would like to thank the captains I have played under, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and, especially Virat Kohli who always had shown great belief in me throughout my career with the Indian team.”
However, it is apparent that the decision, which came on the heels of a third ICC World Cup snub, was made after Rayudu was overlooked again by the national selectors.
Rayudu, a limited-overs specialist, was the No. 4 batsman in the Indian team till the early part of this year. With his performances, both home and away, he had not just made a case for himself into the World Cup squad but also seemed to have settled the Indian team’s No. 4 conundrum.
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However, when the team for England was announced, Rayudu was overlooked and the MSK Prasad-led selection panel opted for Vijay Shankar, citing his allround abilities as the clincher. The Indian team, meanwhile began their campaign on a high but lost Shikhar Dhawan to injury. The replacement, however, was not Rayudu, the stand-by player, but Rishabh Pant.
Rayudu should have got another look in when Shankar, his original nemesis, got injured. Shankar had a poor run at the World Cup too. But the selectors flew in Mayank Agarwal. That, perhaps, was the final straw for Rayudu, with speculations going rife that he might have been overlooked because of a sarcastic tweet he had made at the start of the tournament.
Whatever be the reasons, the way Rayudu, a man in form, was overlooked, hints of a bias that could, ultimately, jeopardise the Indian campaign in England. Despite the victories, it is evident that the Indian team has quite a bit of chinks in the armour, the foremost being a porous middle order.
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Rayudu’s decision also sheds light on the kind of player he was — proud and spunky — and certainly the right kind of mix for the on-field philosophy skipper Virat Kohli propagates. His retirement, even from the IPL, might be a prelude to seeing him becoming a cricket mercenary, plying his trade in the leagues abroad. He might be feeling that his talent and form might be truly appreciated on those platforms.
And, he is not new to making such a move, trusting his bat to see him through. After all, he was part of the Indian Cricket League (ICL), the “rebel” T20 cricket league which triggered the IPL revolution, before being granted amnesty by the BCCI.
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