Ambati Rayudu meets YS Jagan, ‘discusses sports’ amid speculations

AMARAVATI: Ambati Rayudu, former Indian cricketer and current member of IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings, on Thursday met YSRCP President and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy at the latter’s camp office-cum-residence in Tadepalli. The meeting comes amid speculation in recent weeks about the prospects of the cricketer taking a political plunge and more specifically joining the ruling party in the state.

Ambati Rayudu, though settled in Hyderabad, is a native of Guntur. A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that the star cricketer, during his meeting with YS Jagan, shared his ideas on development of sports in Andhra Pradesh. He expressed his keenness to give back to his state by contributing his bit in creating the avenues for the youth at the grassroots level and help them train and play professional sports.

The Chief Minister patiently heard Rayudu on his plans and welcomed the cricketer’s inputs. YS Jagan, on this occasion, also wished Rayudu success in the ongoing IPL 2023 season, playing for his franchise, the CSK.

Incidentally, the veteran batsman starred in CSK’s comprehensive victory over Delhi Capitals in their IPL 2023 fixture held at the M A Chidambaram (Chepauk) Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday night.

Rayudu hung up his boots in International cricket in 2019 amid dramatic circumstances after being ignored for the World Cup that year. He however has been continuing to play for his IPL franchise CSK since then. And the current season is being widely believed to be his last hurrah even in franchise cricket.

The batsman, known for his stylish stroke play and sound technique, made headlines in April 2023 following speculation that he was keen to throw his hat into the ring in Andhra Pradesh politics. Even as he initially kept everyone guessing on which party he could be gravitating to, a tweet from his official handle, @RayuduAmbati, on April 19, 2023, sent the rumour mills into an overdrive on his possible political leanings.

Reacting to YS Jagan’s public meeting in Naupada of Srikakulam district a day before, Ambati Rayudu tweeted: “Great speech..our chief minister @ysjagan garu.. everyone in the state has complete belief and trust in you sir”, while posting a video of the Chief Minister’s speech.

On the same day, newstap.in predicted his grand plans for a debut in politics, that too, from Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh (Cricketer Ambati Rayudu about to embark on a second innings with politics).

His tweet last month and his meeting with YS Jagan on Thursday are being viewed as a precursor, as part of a PR drive, to his possible future political overtures, probably around the time of Assembly elections in 2024. If grapevine has to be believed, Rayudu, as a native of Ponnur in Guntur district, has set his sights firmly on the YSRCP ticket for this Assembly constituency in the 2024 elections.