Ambati Rayudu, the cricketer who retired from all forms of cricket after the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season, is preparing to venture into politics in Andhra Pradesh. It is anticipated that he will join the ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) led by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, reported news agency IANS.

During his visit to his hometown in Guntur district, the 37-year-old cricketer expressed his intentions to serve the people by entering politics. He has been engaging with the local community to gain a deeper understanding of their issues and concerns.

ALSO READ | ‘Disgusting’: Gautam Gambhir Slams Former Cricketers Endorsing Pan Masala

Rayudu, who has previously represented Andhra Pradesh and Hyderabad in domestic cricket, is currently touring rural areas in Guntur to grasp the needs of the people and determine how he can contribute to addressing them.

While he plans to develop a concrete action plan for his political journey and decide on the appropriate platform, Rayudu dismissed rumours of contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from either the Guntur or Machilipatnam parliamentary constituency.

According to recent media reports, Rayudu went to the Mulankareshwari temple in Aminabad village and offered special prayers. He also visited the Sai Baba Temple and Bala Yesu Church in Phirangipuram. With the move to the YSRCP, Rayudu will join the long list of Indian cricketers who joined politics. The list includes Sachin Tendulkar, who was a nominated Rajya Sabha MP; Navjot Singh Sidhu, who joined Congress; Mohammad Azharuddin (Congress; Gautam Gambhir (Bharatiya Janata Party); Kirti Azad (BJP-Congress-TMC); Chetan Chauhan (BJP); Vinod Kambli – Lokbharti Party; Sreesanth (BJP) among others.

Rayudu’s cricketing career includes 55 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 6 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) for India, with an impressive average of 47.06 in ODIs and a top score of 124 not out. In T20Is, he has scored 42 runs in six matches.