Ambati Rayudu pulls out of inaugural MLC: Details here
Former Indian batter Ambati Rayudu has pulled out of the inaugural edition of the Major League Cricket (MLC), citing personal reasons. The veteran was due to play for Texas Super Kings, the sister franchise of Chennai Super Kings. Notably, Rayudu's withdrawal came soon after reports emerged that BCCI will introduce a "cooling-off" period for retired players. Here are further details.
Why does this story matter?
As per BCCI's norms, an active Indian cricketer cannot participate in the overseas T20 leagues. Rayudu retired from Indian cricket following the conclusion of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) on May 29. While he joined TSK on June 15, he has now pulled out of the tournament. Meanwhile, Rayudu played his last game for India in 2019.
What did TSK say?
"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. Notably, Rayudu's last IPL team was CSK and he has extended his association with the Super Kings family through TSK.
BCCI likely to introduce new policy
BCCI secretary Jay Shah recently stated that the board will introduce a policy to prevent "pre-determined" retirements. "The office bearers will make a policy and send it back for approval," Shah stated. As per Indian Express, the policy would be a cooling-off period where the players will need to spend a certain time after retirement from Indian cricket before joining an overseas league.
Rayudu won six IPL titles
Meanwhile, Rayudu made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2010 season. He won three titles with them, in 2013, 2015, and 2017. The batter was signed by CSK in 2018. He helped the Yellow Army win the title that year. Rayudu was also a part of CSK's title-winning campaigns in 2021 and 2023.
A look at his IPL stats
Rayudu finished with 4,348 runs from 204 IPL matches at an average of 28.23 in the IPL. He has smashed one century and 22 fifties, with his highest score of 100*. His last 50+ score came in the 2022 season. He has a strike rate of 127.29. 1932 of his runs have come in 90 appearances for CSK at 29.72 (50s: 8,100: 1).
