Ambati Rayudu has been signed by St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots as their star player for the upcoming season, making him the second Indian to play in the men’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
After aiding Chennai Super Kings win their sixth IPL championship in May of this year, Rayudu, 37, announced his retirement from both international and Indian cricket. Then, Texas Super Kings revealed Rayudu as one of their new additions for the country’s first Major League Cricket competition.
But five days before the league’s start, Rayudu withdrew in protest of the BCCI’s plan to require retired Indian players to wait a year before taking part in foreign franchise competitions.
Rayudu would increase the Indian representation in the men’s league if he is cleared. When Pravin Tambe was playing for Trinbago Knight Riders in 2020, he became the first Indian to compete in the men’s CPL. The men’s CPL has featured two other Indian cricketers, Sunny Sohal and Smit Patel, however they were eligible as USA players. Shreyanka Patil will also play in the Women’s CPL for the first time this season after signing with the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
Even though Rayudu hasn’t played international cricket in the Caribbean, he did participate in the 50-over Carib Beer Cup in 2002–2003, where teams from several islands battled against India A and the West Indies B. At the time, he had played six games and recorded 289 runs while taking seven wickets.
Ambati Rayudu signs up for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots ahead of Caribbean Premier League (CPL)
As a member of the Patriots’ international roster, Rayudu will join the South African group of Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Corbin Bosch, and George Linde as well as Izharulhaq Naveed of Afghanistan. Following Bravo’s departure, Evin Lewis, who had previously captained Patriots to the men’s 6IXTY championship last year, will lead the CPL team this season.
Currently, Indian players are only permitted to participate in foreign competitions if they have retired from both BCCI-run tournaments like the IPL and international cricket. Indian cricketers have recently took part in franchise events after leaving the international game include Unmukt Chand, Robin Uthappa, Yusuf Pathan, and Sreesanth.
From August 16 to September 24 in the Caribbean, five locations will host the men’s CPL 2023. The CPL will coincide with the Lanka Premier League playoffs as well as the Hundred in England, which this year runs from August 1 to August 27. On August 19 in St. Lucia, Patriots will play TKR, a frequent CPL champion.
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