Ambati Rayudu will not take part in the first season of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2023 scheduled to begin in the US from July 14, 2023. Rayudu was scheduled to feature for the Texas Super Kings in this league and would have appeared in this season’s first match against LA Knight Riders.
Ambati Rayudu pulling out at the last minute is a huge blow for the Texas Kings lineup and MLC as a whole. He announced his withdrawal citing “personal reasons” yet to be disclosed. The Texas Super Kings are currently in a rush to replace Rayudu quickly before proceedings officially take off in few days’ time. However, they put out a statement to announce Rayudu’s MLC withdrawal:
“Ambati Rayudu will not be available to participate in the first season of the MLC with Texas Super Kings due to personal reasons. He will continue to cheer for the team from India,”
What are the Likely Factors that Caused Rayudu’s MLC 2023 Pullout?
New BCCI rules
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently set new rules to protect retiring players immediately after long active careers. These rules prevent retired IPL players from immediate reentry into active cricket without a rest period. There are several suggestions that these new rules could be behind Rayudu’s withdrawal from MLC 2023.
Low match fitness
Ambati Rayudu has had one of the IPL’s most trophy-laden careers of all time with six (6) titles. These titles have been possible largely due to Rayudu’s consistent on-field performances. He may be low on match fitness and require rest before going back into competitive cricket in any form.
How Many Teams Has Ambati Rayudu Played For in His Career?
Ambati Rayudu has played for twenty-one (21) different cricket teams throughout his illustrious career. All teams he has featured for in his youth and senior cricket career include:
- India,
- India A, B, Emerging, Green, Red, Seniors, and Under-19
- Andhra,
- Baroda,
- Central Zone,
- Chennai Super Kings,
- Elite Group B,
- Hyderabad Heroes,
- Hyderabad,
- ICL India,
- Mumbai Indians,
- Rest of India,
- South Zone,
- Vidarbha,
- West Zone
Major League Cricket 2023 Schedule
| Date and Time | Teams | Venue |
| Friday, July 14, 06.00 am | Game 1 – Texas Super Kings versus Los Angeles Knight Riders | Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas |
| Saturday, July 15, 02.00 am | Game 2 – MI New York versus San Francisco Unicorns, | Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas |
| Saturday, July 15, 06.00 am | Game 3 – Seattle Orcas versus Washington Freedom | (Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas) |
| Sunday, July 16, 06.00 am | Game 4 – San Francisco Unicorns versus Seattle Orcas | (Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas) |
| Monday, July 17, 02.00 am | Game 5 – Texas Super Kings versus Washington Freedom | (Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas) |
| Monday, July 17, 06.00 am | Game 6 – Los Angeles Knight Riders versus MI New York | (Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas) |
| Tuesday, July 18, 06.00 am | Game 7 – Texas Super Kings versus MI New York | Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas |
| Wednesday, July 19, 06.00 am | Game 8- Los Angeles Knight Riders versus San Francisco Unicorns | Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas |
| Friday, July 21, 03.00 am | Game 9 – Washington Freedom versus Los Angeles Knight Riders | Church Street Park, Morrisville |
| Saturday, July 22, 03.00 am | Game 10 – Seattle Orcas versus Texas Super Kings | Church Street Park, Morrisville |
| Sunday, July 23, 03.00 am | Game 11 – Washington Freedom versus San Francisco Unicorns | Church Street Park, Morrisville |
| Sunday, July 23, 11.00 pm | Game 12 – Los Angeles Knight Riders versus Seattle Orcas | Church Street Park, Morrisville |
| Monday, July 24, 03.00 am | Game 13 – MI New York versus Washington Freedom | Church Street Park, Morrisville |
| Tuesday, July 25, 03.00 am | Game 14 – San Francisco Unicorns versus Texas Super Kings | Church Street Park, Morrisville |
| Wednesday, July 26, 03.00 am | Game 15 – MI New York versus Seattle Orcas | Church Street Park, Morrisville |
| Friday, July 28, 02.00 am | Eliminator – TBC (T3) versus TBC (T4) | Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas |
| Friday, July 28, 06.00 am | Qualifier – TBC (T1) versus TBC (T2) | Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas |
| Saturday, July 29, 06.00 am | Challenger – TBC versus TBC | Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas |
| Monday, July 31, 02.00 am | Final – TBC versus TBC | Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas |
Texas Super Kings Squad (without Rayudu’s Replacement):
Calvin Savage, Cameron Stevenson, Cody Chetty, Daniel Sams, David Miller, Devon Conway, Dwayne Bravo, Gerald Coetzee, Lahiru Milantha, Milind Kumar, Mitchell Santner, Mohammad Mohsin, Rusty Theron, Saiteja Mukkamalla, Sami Aslam, Zia Shahzad
