Ambati Rayudu, the Indian middle-order batsman announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Wednesday. The player has written to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Rayudu was snubbed from the World Cup squad and in place of him, all-rounder Vijay Shankar was given a chance in the team.
"After the Champions Trophy, we tried a lot of middle order batsmen, which includes Karthik as well. We gave Rayudu many chances, but Shankar gives us the ability with the three dimensions (bowling, batting, fielding). If the conditions are suitable, he can come in as an all-rounder. Shankar is a batsman who can bowl, we are looking to play him at number four," chief-selector MSK Prasad had said while announcing the Indian squad.
After the World Cup snub, Rayudu had tweeted "Just Ordered a new set of 3d glasses to watch the world cup". Even after injuries to Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, Rayudu was not called into the squad. As the replacement for Dhawan and Shankar, Rishabh Pant and Mayank Agarwal were added into the lineup.
Rayudu was a regular member of the Indian squad for the past one year and averaged 47.05 in the ODI format. The 33-year-old was the team's number four batsman since the Asia Cup last year. He had scored one century and four half-centuries since then. ANI
