Ambati Rayudu reveals reason for quitting YSRCP amid speculations of rift

Former India and Chennai Super Kings cricketer Rayudu joined YSRCPon December 28, 2023, in a grand function held by Andhra CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy

Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu, who had earlier joined Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) and was expected to run for the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, revealed the reason for quitting the party ahead of the elections.

On Sunday, January 7, in a social media post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Rayudu said that he is required to be non-committal to politics to ply his trade in the International League T20 (ILT20) for the Mumbai Indians from January 20 onwards in Dubai, UAE.

Earlier, Rayudu had shocked everyone by announcing his decision to quit YSRCP without any reason. In a post on X on Saturday, January 6, Rayudu said that he was quitting YSRCP to stay out of politics for a little while. Whether he will return to the fold once the ILT20 is over is not yet confirmed. 

Although the dates are yet not announced, Andhra Pradesh elections are most likely to take place in March 2024 to elect 175 members to the Andhra Legislative Assembly. YSRCP is the incumbent party with 147 legislators in the assembly.

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Timeline of Ambati Rayudu’s Political Activity

December 28, 2023 - Rayudu joins YSRCP in the presence of party chief and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

January 6, 2024 - Rayudu quits the party with a social media post, reasoning that he wants to stay away from politics for a little while.

January 7, 2024 - Rayudu posts on X that he quit YSRCP because he wanted to play for Mumbai Indians in the ILT20, which required him to be non-affiliated to any political unit.

What Did Rayudu Do After Retiring from CSK?

Rayudu, after retiring from Chennai Super Kings (CSK) post the final match of the Indian Premier League 2023 against Gujarat Giants, played in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2023) for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in four matches.

He had also signed up with Texas Super Kings to be a part of the Major League Cricket but decided not to play after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that it was looking to formulate a cooling-off period to stop early retirements of Indian players for lucrative foreign deals. That matter is yet to be decided by the board, and as a result, Rayudu played in the CPL and is now due to play in the ILT20.