Former Indian batter Ambati Rayudu has joked about his retirement from ODI cricket, which was once one of the most debatable topics in 2019-20. Ambati Rayudu called time on his career in 2019 after he was overlooked for the 2019 ODI World Cup twice.
Firstly, Rayudu was not named in India’s original 15-man squad for the 2019 ODI World Cup, and then the selectors went with Rishabh Pant and Mayank Agarwal after injuries struck Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar. He could not handle the double setbacks and announced his retirement from the game.
Ambati Rayudu burst onto the scenes as India’s Under-19 captain in the 2004 World Cup
Ambati first made a name for himself as India’s Under-19 captain in the 2004 World Cup, leading a squad that included future Indian icons like Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, and Robin Uthappa. However, he had to wait nearly a decade to make his international debut.
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Finally, Rayudu got his chance in an ODI series against Zimbabwe in 2013, but his breakthrough came in 2014 when he impressed on the tour of England, and he cemented his place in India’s ODI squad. He played several matches leading up to the 2015 World Cup and was selected in the squad, but never got to play a single game in the tournament.
After that, the former right-hander found himself in and out of the Indian cricket team, but he continued delivering impressive performances in domestic cricket and the IPL. He played a key role in Mumbai Indians’ title wins in 2013, 2015, and 2017 before joining Chennai Super Kings in 2018.
2019 ODI World Cup snub breaks Ambati Rayudu’s confidence
That season, Ambati Rayudu played a key role in CSK’s title-winning campaign by scoring 602 runs. His impressive IPL 2018 performances helped him return to the Indian team for the Asia Cup and the home series against West Indies.
But the former Indian batter-turned-politician’s poor form against Australia cost him his place in India’s 2019 World Cup squad and eventually ended his hopes of representing India in international cricket.
Ambati Rayudu finished his ODI career with 1,694 runs in 55 games at an impressive average of 47.06 and a strike rate of 79, with three hundreds and ten fifties to his name.
However, he played just six T20Is, scoring 42 runs, but never got a chance to represent India in Test cricket.
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Ambati Rayudu’s unexpected response to a fan’s retirement query goes viral
Now, years after his sudden call to say goodbye to the international arena, Rayudu was once again asked why he retired from ODIs so early, despite his good average and strike rate, by a fan from Bihar on ESPNCricinfo’s Time Out show. The fan also expressed his desire to meet the former Indian batter.
This left everyone in a split. However, Rayudu refused to give a clear answer but made it clear that there were a lot of things that forced him to take that call. The commentator said on the show, “He needs to be with him for a week to explain everything. That’s a long story.”
Hearing his response, everyone on the show burst into laughter. Notably, he time and again indirectly blamed then-skipper Virat Kohli, former coach Ravi Shastri, and ex-chief selector MSK Prasad for his omission from the ODI World Cup 2019.
Rayudu on why he retired so early 🤣#TimeOut pic.twitter.com/rbUX92Bhba
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) March 27, 2025
