Ambati Rayudu announces his retirement from first-class cricket

In a surprising turn of events, Ambati Rayudu has announced his retirement from first-class cricket. The 33-year-old informed his decision to the Hyderabad Cricket Association and his desire to focus more on limited-overs cricket after his recent return to the Indian ODI side.

In a letter to the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), Rayudu wrote: "I will continue to play international and domestic matches of the shorter version. And, I take this opportunity to thank the BCCI, HCA, Baroda Cricket Association and also Vidarbha Cricket Association for giving me the opportunities over the years.

"It has always been an honour to play for Hyderabad and I can never forget the kind of support I got from all those here, including my fellow players, coaches and the officials. And especially, the way I was welcomed back into the BCCI fold after the stint in the rebel ICL," he added.

After missing the opening game of the Ranji Trophy 2018/19 by virtue of being on national duty, Rayudu was expected to join the Hyderabad side ahead of their second game of the season against Tamil Nadu. But he called time on his first-class career, that saw him feature in 97 matches and amass over 6,000 runs at an average of over 45 with 16 centuries to his name.

Although he never featured for India in the longest format, he continued to be a consistent performer for Hyderabad.