"Ambati Rayudu should have actually played the 2019 World Cup" - Aakash Chopra on veteran batter's retirement
Aakash Chopra believes Ambati Rayudu was wrongfully dropped from the Indian squad for the 2019 ODI World Cup.
Rayudu recently announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket. The right-handed batter represented the Men in Blue in 55 ODIs but never played a World Cup game.
While paying tribute to Rayudu in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that he should have been picked for the 2019 World Cup, elaborating:
"Ambati Rayudu should have actually played the 2019 World Cup. I remember talking to him. It was a match in Chennai, an IPL game I think. We were talking on the pitch-side and I urged him to score runs. I told him an atmosphere has been created and it seems that he might be dropped, so he should have a good IPL."
The former Indian opener feels Rayudu didn't deserve to be dropped, stating:
"He said what could be done as people are creating such an atmosphere and asked what wrong had he done. He was right, he had done nothing wrong but the atmosphere was getting created both from inside and outside that someone else was required other than Ambati."
Vijay Shankar was preferred ahead of Rayudu for his ability to bowl a few overs. The Guntur-born batter wasn't even picked as a replacement player when Shikhar Dhawan and Shankar were ruled out of the tournament due to injuries.
"Wears his heart on his sleeve" - Aakash Chopra on Ambati Rayudu's emotional reactions
Aakash Chopra pointed out that Ambati Rayudu never refrained from showing his emotions, observing:
"Ambati was dropped after that. He didn't play the World Cup and you always found one thing - wears his heart on his sleeve. Ambati is always a guy who is the same from within and outside. He could get angry very quickly and might lose his temper as well but is pure gold from the heart."
The reputed commentator highlighted that MS Dhoni too spoke about his Chennai Super Kings (CSK) teammate's temperamental side during the recently concluded IPL 2023, saying:
"He is slightly temperamental for sure and Dhoni said the same thing. He is not someone who is going to hold back his emotions. He was always up for a fight but with a great heart. A brilliant human being with a heart of gold. He played cricket with passion and got emotional at times."
Dhoni mentioned light-heartedly that CSK could never have won the IPL's Fairplay Trophy with Rayudu in their squad.