Didn’t feel like giving up on something I have worked for 20-odd years, reveals Amabti Rayudu
IPL
Ambati Rayudu has admitted that his decision to retire was taken in a hurry and stated that he still had a lot to offer which made him reverse his stance. He credited several people for convincing him to do the same and also talked about missing out on the World Cup as well as the way forward.
Having retired while the World Cup was on having been overlooked as a replacement for the injured players in the favour of Mayank Agarwal and Rishabh Pant, Ambati Rayudu recently-announced that he had backtracked on the decision and is ready to return to playing cricket. He had given up red-ball cricket last year to focus on the limited-overs format but is now available for selection for the Ranji Trophy as well and has expressed people close to him for helping him through the rough phase in his life.
"Good people have spoken to me and said that maybe it's not the right time. The CSK management, Laxman bhai, Noel bhai were constantly talking to me and I felt eventually that what they said made sense. I felt why should I give up on something that I have worked for 20-odd years to reach where I am. So obviously I thought it over and thought that maybe it's a bit selfish on my part to just move on without giving anything back to the game while I still can play. I am still fit and can still play, so I think maybe it (the decision) was a little hasty," Rayudu explained, reported Cricbuzz.
He was backed by the skipper himself last year as the perfect fit for the coveted number four position after stringing together fine displays one after the other for the Men in Blue. However, he was left out by the selectors for the squad that travelled to England, as they chose to go ahead with Vijay Shankar instead.
"I was very disappointed. I mean, anyone would be because I had worked so hard for it. I was very prepared for that specific role at No. 4, but maybe their idea of No. 4 might have changed all of a sudden. Maybe they just wanted something else; I'm not too sure. It was very disappointing, but I'm sure they must have had some combinations or plans in mind. I was actually very, very prepared for playing the World Cup to be honest," revealed Rayudu.
However, now that he is back, he is again in contention for a spot in the national XI even though he is currently completely out of the Indian setup. Nevertheless, his focus will be on performing well for his domestic team Hyderabad and achieving glory with IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings to mark a comeback into the Indian starting lineup.Â
"I've never been the kind to think that I have a point to prove or anything. I'm not really bothered about what people say. It's only been about what I think I can achieve or not. Even if you take the example of playing at 4, I knew I could do it and fulfill that role where you have to be very flexible. And the No. 4 can't be one-dimensional. There are a lot of things like that. Right now though, my focus is on doing well for Hyderabad and CSK," Rayudu concluded.
