Ambati Rayudu is not retiring, confirms CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan after star batter’s deleted tweet creates frenzy

Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan, speaking to indiatoday.in, confirmed that Ambati Rayudu will not retire at the end of the IPL 2022 season and would continue to be part of the 4-time champions next year.

advertisement
Ambati Rayudu is not retiring, says CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan (BCCI/PTI)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Rayudu announced his IPL retirement with a tweet before deleting it
  • CSK CEO VIswanathan said Rayudu will continue to play for the 4-time champions
  • Rayudu has had a middling season with CSK In IPL 2022

Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan on Saturday, May 14 said senior batter 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 earlier in the day.

Ambati Rayudu took to Twitter and said he would be retiring from the Indian Premier League after the end of the ongoing season. The CSK batter wrote: "I am happy to announce that this will be my last ipl. I have had a wonderful time playing it and being a part of 2 great teams for 13 years. Would love to sincerely thank Mumbai Indians and Csk for the wonderful journey."

However, Rayudu deleted the tweet after it was widely-shared on the social media platform.

Speaking to indiatoday.in, CSK CEO VIswanathan clariied the situation.

"That's wrong news. He is not retiring. We are not worried," he said.

When asked if Rayudu will represent CSK In IPL 2023, Viswanathan said: "Yeah, Yeah, he is not retiring now,"

Rayudu has had a middling season with the bat, managing 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-getter in IPL 2018 with 602 runs.

Rayudu was bought for Rs 2.2 crore at the IPL 2018 auction when CSK were returning to the league after a 2-year suspension. Rayudu’s heroics with the bat was one of the main reasons for their victorious run.

CSK showed faith in the 36-year-old batter, buying him for Rs 6.75 crore after fending off a bidding war from SunRisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals at the mega auction earlier this year in February.

Notably, Rayudu had taken a similar U-turn in 2019 as he came out of international retirement months after hanging up 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 leading run-getters in the IPL, having scored 4187 runs in 187 matches, including a hundred.

Posted byAkshay Ramesh