One of the most exciting batsmen to represent India, Ambati Rayudu, announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old communicated this in a letter addressed to the Committee of Administrators of Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).
“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. 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,” Rayudu, who made his Ranji Trophy debut in 2002, said in the letter.
‘Honour and privilege’
“I also would like to thank the two IPL franchises MI and CSK for their support. It has been an honour and privilege to have represented our country. I would like to thank the captains I have played under, M.S. Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and especially Virat Kohli, who always had shown great belief in me throughout my career with the Indian team,” said Rayudu, who played 55 ODIs and scored 1,694 runs with three centuries and 10 fifties at 47.05. He also played six T20Is, scoring 42 runs.
“It has been a wonderful journey of playing the sport and learning from every up and down it brought up on for the last 25 years at various different levels. Finally, I would like to thank my family and all the well-wishers who have been with me through this wonderful journey,” Rayudu concluded.
Praise from Arjun Yadav
Arjun Yadav, who was Rayudu’s former teammate and also coach, felt Hyderabad would miss the exceptional cricketer’s experience.
“I feel he could have pushed himself for a couple of more years given the kind of talent he has. He should have been given more opportunities to play for India,” Arjun said.
