Omitted from World Cup squad, Ambati Rayudu decides to retire

New Delhi : Ignored for the ongoing World Cup, Indian middle-order batsmanAmbati Rayudu has decided to retire from all forms of cricket, a BCCI official has revealed. The 33-year-old Andhra batsman was in the official standbys list for the big event in the UK but was ignored despite injury to all-rounder Vijay Shankar.

Opener Mayank Agrawal was brought in on the team management's insistence. The player is yet to make a formal announcement, but a Board official told PTI that he has communicated his decision to the BCCI.

"He has told the Board," the official said. Rayudu played 55 ODIs for India, scoring 1,694 runs at an average of 47.05. 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 captain Virat Kohli not many months ago, Rayudu was ignored for Shankar in India's final squad for the big event.

Chairman of selectors MSK Prasad had justified the move by saying that Shankar had "three-dimensional skills". Rayudu then took a dig at that statement with a cheeky social media post. S P14