Ambati Rayadu’s exclusion from the 2019 World Cup squad by skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri caused quite a stir. His replacement, Vijay Shankar, failed to perform in England as India bowed out from the semi-finals. Rayadu, who has retired from all forms of cricket, has expressed his thoughts on the selection controversy, criticizing Kohli for his selection mistakes.
When asked if he deserved a spot in the 2019 World Cup squad, Rayadu said, “Maybe yes, that World Cup (2019), yes. If not me, then there was Ajinkya Rahane. Why didn’t you take a proper No.4? Like Shreyas Iyer this World Cup. KL Rahul. They have done tremendously well. That is the role a No.4 and No.5 have to do. Of course, it is not rocket science. They (Kohli & Shastri) didn’t understand it back then. It was shocking. A No.4 is like a bridge. It is a transition from your No.4s to your big hitters. You need one batsman like this. If not two. Specially, in England, you needed two like that.”
After India’s exit from the World Cup, there were suggestions that Rayadu should have been included. “I was always thinking. What’s the use? What’s the point now? It should have been thought about back then. You are going for a World Cup. Not some personal league or tournament. You should put your interests behind the country’s interests. Most of the games that I have sat out are under his captaincy. But I would never complain. It is always the team first,” he added.
Rayadu also praised Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, saying, “With Rohit, it has been brilliant captaincy. The kind of players they have picked is tremendous.”
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