Yuvraj Singh slams Indian selectors for not playing Ambati Rayudu in World Cup 2019

Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh has criticised the Indian team management for the national team's surprise exit from the 50-over World Cup in July 2019. India was knocked out in the semi-finals of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup by New Zealand. The Men in Blue went into the World Cup as favourites and also performed dominantly in the group stages. Their elimination in the semi-finals came as a surprise to many after the top three batsmen of the Indian team (KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli) were dismissed with just 5 runs on the board.

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Yuvraj Singh supports Ambati Rayudu

After the 2019 World Cup squad for India was announced, Ambati Rayudu ran into a lot of controversy after he was not picked. All-rounder Vijay Shankar was selected instead because of his "three-dimensional abilities" according to the outgoing chief selector, MSK Prasad. Months after the World Cup, Yuvraj Singh, the 2011 World Cup's Player of the Tournament, commented on 2019 World Cup in a recent event in Delhi. Yuvraj criticised the Indian team's think-tank for fielding an inexperienced middle-order in the 2019 World Cup. The former southpaw cited Ambati Rayudu's absence from the squad as a massive shocker and explained how Rayudu had the experience which was needed at the biggest stage of them all. Instead of Rayudu, players like Vijay Shankar and Rishabh Pant were given a chance at the World Cup and this did not sit well with the 38-year-old. 

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Although Yuvraj was not trying to disrespect Pant or Shankar, he explained that these two lacked the experience that someone like Ambati Rayudu could have provided. He also cited Australia's World Cup success over the years, which could be credited to the stable middle order that they nurtured and maintained. He also criticised the Indian team management for not having set, precise roles for players in the team. Yuvraj added that MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik looked out of sorts in their batting spots during the semi-final and that the Indian team relied heavily on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's individual form instead of playing as a complete unit. Yuvraj Singh will not be a part of the 2020 IPL Auction which is due to take place on Thursday in Kolkata. He announced his retirement from international cricket earlier this year and has been exploring life as a freelancer in tournaments like the Global T20 league in Canada and the Abu Dhabi T10.

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