Disgusting to judge Ambati Rayudu on IPL form: Gautam Gambhir after former’s World Cup snub

Back in the 2018 Asia Cup in the UAE, Ambati Rayudu made his comeback into the Indian team after two years and he didn’t flatter to deceive, so much so that he cemented his place in the team. His rich vein of form and put to rest the discussions surrounding the number four slot. However, gradually, he lost his touch and kept slumping to one failure after the other.

Subsequently, the Guntur-born batter lost his place in the side. To add to his woes, the experienced campaigner didn’t find a place in the 15-member World Cup squad. MSK Prasad, the national chief selector, said that Vijay Shankar would be tried at that position.

Ambati Rayudu also hasn’t tasted much success in this edition’s Indian Premier League (IPL), representing the MS Dhoni-captained Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir believes that it’s ‘disgusting’ to judge Rayudu only on his IPL form.

“It is disgusting to see that he (Rayudu) is being judged more on his IPL form and less on his overall skill-set. I am not a big fan of statistics as they never tell the whole story,” Gambhir wrote in his exclusive column for The Times of India (TOI).

I have still not been able to get my head around these selections

In their squad for the mega event, scheduled to get underway on Thursday, May 30, India selected three specialist fast bowlers- Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. But the veteran Gambhir, who hung his boots from the game in December last year, remarked that India are a bit light on their fast bowling department.

“I must say I am surprised by the fact that we are going in with just three specialist fast bowlers. I tried to visit and then revisit this fact but I have still not been able to get my head around these selections.

I have always believed that whatever be the format, it is the batsmen who set up the games and bowlers are the ones who win them. Therefore, I feel we are a little light in the fast-bowling department,” the 37-year-old added.

India’s first match is against South Africa at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on June 5.

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