Ambati Rayudu 2019 World Cup: The 2019 ICC ODI World Cup was a bittersweet journey for Team India. On the field, India impressed with strong performances until their semi-final exit against New Zealand. Off the field, the team was mired in controversy surrounding Ambati Rayudu’s exclusion. Recently, Robin Uthappa, a former India cricketer and 2007 T20 World Cup winner, reignited the debate, laying blame on Virat Kohli, India’s captain during that time.
Ambati Rayudu 2019 World Cup: Backlash Trails Omission Of Rayudu
Ambati Rayudu has been a player for whom several doors had closed with his apparent selection for India’s World Cup team. When selectors shocked fans and experts by opting for the services of Vijay Shankar over Rayudu, many just didn’t make sense of why selectors felt that Rayudu’s strengths could not cut it for Shankar.
Speaking on a recent interview with Lallantop, Uthappa has shared insights about the controversial decision. He also alleged that the personal preferences of Kohli influence team selection “If Kohli didn’t like somebody, they got sidelined,” claimed Uthappa. He showed Rayudu’s situation as one of the best examples of it.
Crushed World Cup Dreams
Uthappa narrated the emotional distress Rayudu had to face post his exclusion. According to him, Rayudu had already readied himself for the World Cup, kit and uniforms all ready. The shock exclusion left the player in tatters. “To take a player so close to selection and then close the door on them isn’t fair,” Uthappa said.
Rayudu’s frustration spilled onto social media where he sarcastically tweeted that he would buy 3D glasses to watch the World Cup as a direct jab at the selectors’ justification for choosing Shankar. Even after key players like Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar sustained injuries, selectors overlooked Rayudu for replacement, intensifying the controversy.
Role of Kohli in Selection Decisions
Team selection in Indian cricket often involves multiple stakeholders, including the captain and selectors. MSK Prasad, chief selector during the 2019 World Cup, later clarified that decisions were collective. However, Uthappa argued that Kohli’s preferences held significant weight. He also criticized Kohli’s treatment of senior players like Yuvraj Singh, who returned to cricket after battling cancer. Kohli had preferences, and it wasn’t right to sideline players for personal reasons,” Uthappa said. He demanded fairness and transparency in team selection.
Legacy of Rayudu in Cricket
Ambati Rayudu announced his retirement from all formats of Indian cricket in May 2023. A prominent figure in Chennai Super Kings of the IPL, he had won the IPL trophy six times, equalled only by Rohit Sharma. He had also played for India when they won the Asia Cup in 2018 and thus proved himself as a consistent performer.
Despite all the success, the World Cup snub still remains a blot on his career. Many feel that Rayudu’s inclusion in the 2019 World Cup squad would have added strength to India’s middle order and might have changed the fortunes of the team.
Lessons from the Controversy
Critical management and selection matters have been well reflected in this particular saga of the Rayudu drama. Personal prejudice, if uncontrolled, cannot help but override merit-based choice, which causes more harm in the team, in terms of team morale as well. Proper transparency, clarity, and communication will help make players trust you. And when once again the cricketing fraternity opens its mouth at this incident it recalls another matter of honesty and objectivity that cricket values most.
