Former India batsman Ambati Rayudu took a U-turn on his decision to ‘retire from all forms and levels of the game’ and said he will definitely be playing for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
“I would definitely be playing the IPL for Chennai Super Kings and make a comeback into white-ball cricket. My priority now is to get back into peak fitness,” Rayudu told TOI.
The player, who could never break into the Test team, was in the spotlight before the World Cup.
Declared the preferred No. 4 batsman by Kohli not many months ago, Amabati Rayudu was ignored for Vijay Shankar in India's final squad for the big event.
"I wouldn’t say it was an emotional decision because I worked very hard for the World Cup in the last four years. You are bound to be disappointed and I felt it was time (to retire). The decision that I took was not because of rejection or anything else. You work towards something and when you don’t get it, you feel it’s time to move on,” Rayudu told reporters on his retirement decision.
“I had some time to think over it and then decided might as well come and play some cricket,” he added.
Rayudu played 55 ODIs for India, scoring 1694 runs at an average of 47.05.
Chairman of selectors MSK Prasad had justified the move of picking Shankar over Rayudu by saying that Shankar had "three-dimensional skills".
Shankar couldn't make much of an impact and was eventually forced out by a toe injury.
Rayudu had taken a dig at Prasad's statement with a cheeky social media post.