Ambati Rayudu, Blessing Muzarabani leave CPL 2023 due to personal reasons
Howell and Smeed to join Patriots; Brathwaite called up by Royals as temporary replacement for Ferreira
Cricket PassionEditor
Posted - 2023-08-31T13:54:47+06:00
Updated - 2023-08-31T13:54:47+06:00
Veteran batsman Ambati Rayudu has cut short his stint with the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) due to personal reasons. He recently became the second Indian player to take part in the tournament after Pravin Tambe.
Indian batsman Ambati Rayudu has left the 2023 Caribbean Premier League due to personal reasons. He became the second Indian player after Pravin Tambe to take part in the tournament after he announced his retirement from international and Indian cricket following the 2023 IPL final, which he won with the Chennai Super Kings.
Rayudu marked his CPL debut with a duck and scored some handy runs in his next few appearances. He finished the game with 47 runs at an average of 15.66 and a strike rate of 117.50, having been deployed as a top player for the franchise following his retirement from Indian cricket.
Rayudu was signed by the Patriots as a regular, becoming just the second Indian player to play in the men's CPL after Pravin Tambe. He had retired from international and Indian cricket in early 2023 after helping Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title.
Fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani from Zimbabwe also left the tournament for personal reasons. Muzarabani played three games for the Patriots, taking one wicket at 69 with an economy of 10.61. The England duo of fast bowler Benny Howell and top batter Will Smeed have been called up to replace Rayudu and Muzarabani in the Patriots squad.
The Patriots are the only team in the competition not to have a single win in six games. With their first two games abandoned due to rain, they have lost each of their subsequent four games.
Meanwhile, Carlos Brathwaite has been called up by the Barbados Royals as a temporary replacement for wicketkeeper-batter Donovan Ferreira. Ferreira has been included in South Africa's 16-man squad for the T20I home series against Australia. He is expected to return after completing his national duties.
Ferreira made just one game for the Royals in the 2023 CPL, scoring 19 runs. Brathwaite has played 77 CPL games for four teams and this will be his first appearance with the Royals. He has on 16.11. 822 runs scored and on 30.15. 59 wickets collected. This is the first time he has been part of the CPL since the 2021 edition.