Ambati Rayudu's exclusion from World Cup hurts MSK Prasad; reveals reason behind decision

MSK Prasad's tenure as the Indian cricket team's chief selector saw some young cricketers getting opportunities to play international cricket and being backed solidly. The likes of Rishabh Pant, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Shreyas Iyer have gone onto establish themselves in the national side. During MSK Prasad's tenure as a selector, Team India delivered impressive performances and reached the semi-finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England. However, Prasad has also received flak for excluding Ambati Rayudu from India’s World Cup 2019 squad.

Also Read: IPL 2020: CSK Begin Preparations With Suresh Raina And Ambati Rayudu At Training Camp

ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: Ambati Rayudu and his Team India stats

Ambati Rayudu, who was regarded as India's primary No. 4 option in the run-up to the 2019 World Cup, was left out of the squad for the 50-over showpiece event in England and Wales. The selectors chose an inexperienced Vijay Shankar ahead of him. In fact, the selectors did not even name him in the squad after India lost two players due to injuries at the marquee event. His omission left fans furious as he averages 47.05 in the format and did a decent job at No. 4, averaging over 41, prior to the mega event.

Also Read: Yuvraj Singh Slams Indian Selectors For Not Playing Ambati Rayudu In World Cup 2019

MSK Prasad opens up on Ambati Rayudu episode

While speaking to a leading publishing house, MSK Prasad said that he is hurt and feels bad for Ambati Rayudu. In his interview, he said that selection of Rayudu for the World Cup was a 'very touch-and-go issue'. The committee always felt that Rayudu should be on the radar of Test selection after the 2016 Zimbabwe tour but the player was unfortunately not focusing much on Test cricket. He also said that based on his IPL performances, Rayudu was picked for ODIs, which was not considered appropriate to many. Then, the board focussed on his fitness for one month at the NCA in an attempt to help him out, but that did not go as per plan. 

Also Read: Ambati Rayudu Opts Out Of Ranji Trophy, Cites Politics In HCA As The Reason

Ambati Rayudu overturns his retirement decision 

Last year, Ambati Rayudu was named as the captain for the Hyderabad side for the upcoming 50-over contests in the Vijay Hazare trophy. Rayudu had earlier decided to announce his retirement from international cricket after the series of setbacks before overturning his decision a couple of months later. He decided to skip the ongoing Ranji Trophy due to politics in team selection.

Also Read: Sourav Ganguly: Applicant With Most Test Appearances To Take MSK Prasad's Place As Chief