Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan while talking to indiatoday.in confirmed that Ambati Rayudu will not retire at the end of the IPL 2022 season and will continue to be a part of the 4-time champions next year.
Ambati Rayudu is not retiring, says CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan (BCCI/PTI)
highlighted
- Rayudu announced his retirement from IPL with a tweet before deleting it
- CSK CEO Viswanathan said Rayudu will continue to play for the 4-time champions
- Rayudu has had a mid-season with CSK in IPL 2022
Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan on Saturday, May 14 said that senior batsman Ambati Rayudu is not retiring at the end of the IPL 2022 season. Viswanathan’s clarification comes after Rayudu’s deleted tweet created a frenzy on social media a day earlier.
Ambati Rayudu took to Twitter And said that he will retire from the Indian Premier League after the end of the current season. The CSK batsman wrote: “I am happy to announce that this will be my last IPL. I have had a wonderful time playing this and being a part of 2 great teams for 13 years. Honesty to Mumbai Indians and CSK Would love to thank you for a wonderful journey.”
Rayudu, however, deleted the tweet after it was widely shared on the social media platform.
Speaking to indiatoday.in, CSK CEO Viswanathan clarified the situation.
“This is wrong news. He is not retiring. We are not worried,” he said.
Asked whether Rayudu will represent CSK in IPL 2023, Viswanathan said: “Yeah, yes, he is not retiring yet,”
Rayudu has had a moderate season with the bat, scoring only 271 runs in 12 matches at an average of a little over 20.
Rayudu scored 257 runs in 16 matches in CSK’s winning campaign in IPL 2021, while he was CSK’s leading run-scorer in IPL 2018 with 602 runs.
Rayudu was bought in the IPL 2018 auction for Rs 2.2 crore when CSK were returning to the league after a two-year suspension. Rayudu’s valor with the bat was one of the main reasons for his winning run.
CSK showed faith in the 36-year-old batsman, buying him for Rs 6.75 crore after a bidding battle from Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals in the mega auction in February earlier this year.
Notably, Rayudu had a similar U-turn in 2019 as he came out of international retirement months after hanging his boots from the highest level following a snub from the 2019 World Cup. Rayudu has played 55 ODIs and scored 1694 runs and 6 T20Is for India. Rayudu last played List A cricket for Andhra in 2021.
Rayudu is one of the highest run-scorers in the IPL, scoring 4187 runs in 187 matches including a century.