Former Indian batsman VVS Laxman has voiced his disappointment over the snub of Ambati Rayudu for World Cup squad by saying that he has consistently performed for the team over the years.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on April 15, announced their 15-man squad for the World Cup, to be held in England and Wales, and while there were some obvious inclusions, the likes of Ambati Rayudu and Rishabh Pant were left in place of Vijay Shankar and Dinesh Karthik respectively.
The two, however, have been included as the standbys along with the bowler Navdeep Saini in the squad.
Laxman, on his part, spoke about Rayudu and compared the batsman’s situation to his. Back during the 2003 World Cup, Dinesh Mongia got the nod ahead of Laxam, hence the pain is well and truly relatable.
"It will be very disappointing for Rayudu because I felt he had done everything possible to be in that squad. Since the West Indies series (Oct 2018), where he was asked to bat at No 4, he has consistently performed in that position,“ Laxman was quoted by Hindustan Times.
"He was the highest run-getter in the series, so I was a little surprised they didn’t go with the experience of Rayudu even after performing. It will be very, very painful. I have experienced that in 2003. But as an international sportsperson, it is important to bounce back strongly, and I hope Rayudu does that.”
Asked about his option of the squad, Laxman said that Indian will be travelling with a balanced team. “The top order batsmen have done really well. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma have been instrumental in winning a lot of matches and in the last three-four years, and they have been very consistent. Virat Kohli is the best batsman in the world,” Laxman added.
"Overall, we have a balanced, experienced side. It’s about them going there and playing to potential. I don’t think we are a genuine batsman short. There are a lot of options. There is KL Rahul, he is a class player. You have Dinesh Karthik, who is again very experienced. There is a lot of depth in batting.”
