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Ambati Rayudu opts out of Major League Cricket, won't play for Texas Super Kings in inaugural edition

Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu will not be seen in Major League Cricket (MLC).

SportsTak

• Sat • 08 Jul 2023

Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu will not be seen in Major League Cricket (MLC). Rayudu, who was earlier named in the Texas Super Kings (TSK) franchise, has pulled out of the competition due to personal reasons. On June 15, TSK franchise announced the long list of overseas players that included three CSK players from IPL 2023 and former CSK all-rounder Dwayne Bravo as well. The first match of MLC 2023 will be played on July 14. The other two CSK players on the side are New Zealand’s Devon Conway and Mitchell Santner. But Rayudu has pulled out at the last moment.

"Ambati Rayudu will not be available to participate in the first season of the MLC with Texas Super Kings due to personal reasons," TSK said in a statement.

"He will continue to cheer for the team from India," the franchise added.

One of the most underrated cricketers in recent times, Ambati Rayudu retired from all forms of cricket after helping Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with its fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) title in 2023. Rayudu will be remembered as a winning player. The right-handed batter wasn't always the flashy name in the star-studded teams he played for during his career but the job that he did was nothing short of impeccable. A true IPL great, Rayudu finished with six IPL titles to his name.

There was a time between 2017 and 2019 when Rayudu was becoming an indispensable name in Team India. With the Men in Blue struggling to find a solid batter for the No.4 position, the Rayudu made the spot his own by scoring impactful runs for the team and digging the side out of a hole whenever the opportunity presented itself.

Just when the right-handed batter was on course to be a part of India's 2019 ODI World Cup squad, the selectors made a decision that surprised most of the Indian cricket followers. Rayudu was not selected for the quadrennial competition leaving Team India's batting line-up vulnerable.

Rayudu never played for the Men in Blue after being left out of the 2019 ODI World Cup squad. He ended his Team India career with 55 ODI caps, scoring 1,694 runs at an average of 47.05 with the help of 10 half-centuries and three tons.