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'I Was Angry At...,' Ambati Rayudu Slams Selectors Over His Omission From World Cup 2019

image-livovh6mAmbati Rayudu in action for CSK in IPL 2023 (iplt20.com)

Ambati Rayudu has opened up on his sudden exclusion from India’s squad for the 2019 World Cup. For months, the cricketer was tipped to solve India’s number four conundrum in the batting line-up, and he even received the backing of then captain Virat Kohli.

However, Rayudu was excluded from the Indian squad, in favour of young all-rounder Vijay Shankar. As it turned out, the team’s World Cup campaign came crashing down at the semi-final, with each of their top five batters faltering in the run-chase against New Zealand.

Ambati Rayudu revisits 2019 World Cup heartache

During a recent interview, Ambati Rayudu said that he was informed by the BCCI officials to be prepared for the 2019 World Cup in England. The cricketer added that he holds no grudge against his replacement Vijay Shankar after his sudden omission, but expressed his confusion and disappointment over the selectors’ thought process at the time. While speaking with TV9, he said:

“The BCCI officials in 2018 told me to be prepared for the 2019 World Cup.”


"They wanted a No 4. So, I did not get why they went with an allrounder all of a sudden. If they picked someone like Rahane, I would get it because a position like that requires experience. The purpose of the No 4 is to stabilise when wickets fall. I was not angry at Shankar, it was not his fault, I was angry at the thinking process of the selectors.”

Ambati Rayudu was one of the key performers in India’s 2018 Asia Cup triumph in the UAE. Moreover, the right-handed batter also top-scored for the ‘Men in Blue’ in their 4-1 home series over New Zealand in January 2019, i.e., a few months prior to the commencement of the 2019 World Cup.

The 37-year-old recently announced his retirement from IPL. With Chennai Super Kings’ title victory this season, the veteran concluded his IPL career as tournament’s most-decorated player, alongside Rohit Sharma with six trophy wins.

Rayudu is now expected to play for Baroda in the upcoming domestic season.