Before India’s 2019 ODI World Cup campaign, Ambati Rayudu was handed a lot of middle-order opportunities, and he performed admirably. However, Vijay Shankar, who was chosen for his all-around skills, unexpectedly replaced the right-handed batter in the squad. The Indian team’s captain at the time was Virat Kohli.
Robin Uthappa had previously discussed Virat Kohli’s preferences earlier this year. Rayudu has now addressed the remarks made by the former India opener and clarified his position on the matter. He expressed his opinions about Kohli’s leadership as well.
“Anyone was cut if Virat Kohli didn’t think they were good or liked them. The best example is (Ambati) Rayudu. You’re sorry. Speaking to Lallantop, Uthappa had stated, “Everyone has their preferences, I agree, but you cannot close the door on a player after taking him to the cusp.”
“Everything was in his house, including his World Cup attire and equipment bag. The idea of attending the World Cup would be on a player’s mind. But you turned him away. I didn’t think it was fair,” Uthappa had clarified.
However, Rayudu acknowledged that throughout his time as captain, Kohli provided him with numerous opportunities. The former Hyderabad batsman acknowledged that Kohli was not always a good leader, though.
“Uthappa was attempting to convey that Kohli has strong preferences. However, it was Kohli who supported me in this instance. I was liked by him. I participated in a lot of games for India while he was captain. It was him that introduced me to the team. Being from a low background himself, he can relate to the hardship. Speaking on the Raw Talks podcast, Rayudu explained, “He has played fantastic cricket.”
“Everyone is aware that his leadership was occasionally deemed inadequate. Uthappa stated that he made blunders while serving as captain. It’s about logic, not inclinations,” he continued.
It wasn’t personal, in my opinion: Ambati Rayudu
During that time, MSK Prasad served as the top selector and Ravi Shastri as the head coach, while Kohli was captain. According to Rayudu, the team decided to select Shankar instead of him in the hopes that it would help the team as a whole. The former cricket player who is now a broadcaster believes that his absence was due to no personal grudge.
“I won’t say that MSK Prasad, Ravi Shastri, or Kohli answered the phone. The decision was made collectively. They believed that their squad would benefit more from something else. However, Rayudu stated, “I don’t believe it was personal.”
The Guntur native scored 1,69 runs for India in 55 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) at a strike rate of 79.05. In addition, he scored 42 runs in six Twenty20 Internationals for the Men in Blue.
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