Ex-India star reveals untold story, blames Virat Kohli for Ambati Rayudu's omission from 2019 World Cup squad

Many cricket fans were disappointed to learn that Ambati Rayudu had been dropped from India's 2019 World Cup team. Rayudu, who was expected to be India's number four batter in the ICC event, had shown significant promise since rejoining the team in 2018. However, the selection committee, chaired by MSK Prasad, decided to bypass him in favor of all-rounder Vijay Shankar.

Rayudu expressed his disappointment to the selection committee in a social media post, which may have impacted his chances of being selected as a replacement player during the tournament. Even though India needed two substitute players, Rayudu was not granted the opportunity to represent his country on the international scene.

In a surprising twist, Robin Uthappa recently revealed an unreported explanation of Rayudu's withdrawal from the World Cup squad. Speaking to the Lallantop, Uthappa stated that former captain Virat Kohli was involved in Rayudu's omission, stating that Rayudu had his World Cup attire and kit bag packed at home.

"If he (Virat Kohli) didn't like anyone, he didn't feel someone is good, then they were cut. (Ambati) Rayudu is the prime example. You feel bad. Everybody has preferences, I agree but you cannot close the door on a player after taking him to the cusp. He had World Cup clothes, World Cup kit bag, everything was there at his home. A player would be thinking that he is going to the World Cup. But you shut the door on him. That wasn't fair according to me," Uthappa said.

Ambati Rayudu, a former Indian cricketer, made news with retirement announcements at various stages of his career. Rayudu startled many in 2019 when he announced his retirement during the World Cup, only to alter his mind two months later. Despite this, he never represented India in international cricket again.

Similarly, Rayudu sparked interest in 2022 when he announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL), but then erased his post. His ultimate retirement came in 2023, shortly before the IPL 2023 final between the Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans. Rayudu announced his retirement after winning the IPL 2023 title with his team.

Throughout his career, Rayudu experienced both highs and lows. Although he was part of the 2015 World Cup squad led by MS Dhoni, he did not get the chance to display his skills on the field. Rayudu played in 55 One Day Internationals (ODIs) and 6 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). While he was selected for the Test squad, he never had the opportunity to debut in the longest format of the game.

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