Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu has revealed that he already had the 2019 World Cup kit before being left out of the squad. The cricketer-turned-commentator also explained that around 25-30 players are usually shortlisted before the final 15-member team is picked for the World Cup.

Rayudu further said that he never actually bought 3D glasses to watch the World Cup. He clarified that his earlier comment was made out of frustration after not being selected purely as a batter for the No. 4 position.

All-rounder Vijay Shankar replaced Rayudu in India’s 2019 World Cup squad. However, Shankar could not make much impact, scoring only 58 runs and taking two wickets in three matches. During the tournament, the Virat Kohli-led team tried four different players — Shankar, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, and KL Rahul — for the No. 4 role.

Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu revealed that he already had the 2019 World Cup jersey and kit before being dropped from the squad. Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube channel, the ex-CSK batter explained how the process works.

Rayudu said: “Yes, I had the jersey and kit for the 2019 World Cup because they prepare 20-25 players with passports, visas, and clothes in advance. The final selection happens later because it’s tough to arrange everything at the last minute. It’s not like I was in the team and then kicked out.”

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Rayudu clarifies on 3D glasses remark

The 39-year-old also cleared the air about his old “3D glasses” tweet, which had gone viral after his omission.

“No, no. At that time, the most frustrating thing was that if you were not picking a proper No. 4 batter, then why select an all-rounder for that position? At No. 4, you need a specialist batter who can build a bridge between the top order and lower middle order, not just a ‘3-dimensional player.’”

Rayudu was dropped from the 2019 World Cup squad despite scoring 247 runs in 10 ODIs that year at an average of 30.88. In 2018, however, he had a much better run, scoring 392 runs in 10 matches at an average of 56, including a century and three fifties.

“What Robin said is true” – Rayudu hints at favouritism

Rayudu also seemed to agree with former India cricketer Robin Uthappa, who once claimed that Virat Kohli’s personal preferences influenced team selections.

“What Robin has said is completely true (about liking and disliking in Indian cricket), but it was for a period of time. In one interview, I also said that Virat supported me. But at the end of the day, people get carried away. I felt at that time the decision was not entirely based on cricket. It was a management call. You cannot blame only the selector, captain, or coach. It was not just about cricket.”

Uthappa’s old claim on Kohli

In an earlier interview, Robin Uthappa had directly accused then-captain Virat Kohli of cutting players he didn’t like. Speaking about Rayudu’s case, Uthappa had said (via DNA):

“If he (Virat Kohli) didn’t like anyone, he didn’t feel someone was good, then they were cut. Rayudu is the prime example. He had the World Cup clothes, kit bag, and everything ready. A player would think he is going to the World Cup, but they shut the door on him. That wasn’t fair.”

Rayudu’s international and IPL career

Rayudu didn’t play the 2019 World Cup but finished with decent numbers for Team India. He represented the side in 55 ODIs and six T20Is, scoring 1694 ODI runs at an average of 47.05, including three centuries and 10 fifties.

In the IPL, Rayudu became one of the most successful players, winning six trophies — three each with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI). Across 204 IPL matches, he scored 4348 runs, with one century and 22 fifties to his name.

Just after their narrow 22-run victory against India during the third Test of the five-match series at Lord’s, the home captain, Ben Stokes, drops a bombshell on how his premier pacer, Jofra Archer, was confused on the fifth morning of the red-ball fixture around the dates of the 2019 World Cup final and the 2002 NatWest final, both taking place at the iconic venue. 

On the morning of July 14, the sixth anniversary of the 2019 50-over World Cup, Stokes asked Jofra Archer about his feelings on the date when he bowled the super over against New Zealand during their win by the barest of all margins. And the Barbados-born turned back to mix it up with Sourav Ganguly’s 2002 NatWest final.

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‘I just said to him this morning, I said ‘You know what today is?’ And there was that, you know, the highlight package, when India knocked off like 300 odd back in the day when Ganguly (signals waving his shirt), and he thought that was the World Cup final as well. He thought that was six years today, genuine, and I was like, ‘No, the World Cup that we won? And he went, ‘Oh that one!!’ Absolute beauty that boy.’ Stokes revealed the story.

Watch: Know how Jofra Archer confuses the 2019 World Cup win with the 2002 NatWest final

Jofra made a remarkable return to the red-ball format after nearly four years. In the first innings, he drew first blood with the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal to lift the London crowd on their feet. In the second innings, he clicked a few vital wickets in the form of Rishabh Pant before grabbing an absolute return catch of Washington Sundar.

Ben Stokes on Sourav Ganguly's tshirt celebration at Lord's Balcony.pic.twitter.com/FKd066BnyH

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) July 14, 2025

Archer was also on the firing line of bowling the super over of the 2019 World Cup. Even after going for a six in the early part of the over, he held his nerve to keep them in the hut. The last ball was fired up leg side on the legs, and Martin Guptill couldn’t make the double and felt short of inches from lifting the title.

In the case of the 2002 NatWest final at the same ground, India was not in the chase, losing five wickets before 50% completion of the target. That was when Mohammed Kaif and Yuvraj Singh put up a great partnership before the lower order carried them over the line as Ganguly made the famous shirt-waving in the balcony.

It seems like only yesterday India faced a gut-wrenching setback in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, going out after a tight semi-final loss to New Zealand. Almost six years since then, the anguish still haunts fans and apparently, the players as well. Former Indian captain Virat Kohli, who captained the team that season, has now spoken for the first time about the tearful exit and the deep hurt it caused him.

India had dominated the group stage, sitting atop the table with seven wins from nine games. With confidence high, everything was expected. But in rain-hit semi-final at Old Trafford, Manchester, things did not go according to script. The game spilled into a reserve day after incessant rain brought the game to a standstill after New Zealand's innings. Next day, on tricky overcast conditions, India's batting disintegrated early.

Talking on the RCB Podcast, Kohli shared that how disoriented and numb he was after the loss. "The 2019 loss was massive; that was the first time actually after the semifinals got over, and the next morning, we were going to leave Manchester. You know when you wake up, and you have no kind of understanding of what you want to do… like you're dazed," he said.

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Kohli remembers how rain and early collapses dashed India's 2019 World Cup ambitions

Reminiscing about what happened, Kohli pointed out how the rain was instrumental in disrupting India's rhythm. "Everything was all right. We had to play in the afternoon, and there was rain, and then we had to turn up the next morning, early morning conditions, this, that and the others. I was like, what are the chances."

Trent Boult's initial blows, including the key scalp of Kohli himself, left India gasping. MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja staged a brave counterattack, but the Men in Blue came up short by 18 runs.

Explaining his state of mind after the defeat, Kohli stated, "It was like the feeling you get when you have a horrible hangover I could not make sense of it."

For the fans and players, too, that semi-final is still one of Indian cricket's most painful what-ifs.