Wanted Ambati Rayudu as India’s No 4 for 2019 World Cup: Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina, the former Indian cricketer, reckons that Ambati Rayudu should have been India’s number four in the 2019 World Cup. Going into the mega event in England and Wales, Rayudu had to face the axe and even after a few players got injured, he didn’t get a call-up. Later, he announced his retirement with immediate effect, but also made his comeback in domestic cricket.

Back in 2018, Rayudu also missed out on the tour of England after failing the yo-yo test. Talking about the development, the 33-year-old Raina said that he wasn’t happy one bit. The tour also happened to be Raina’s last in international cricket.

Ambati Rayudu was good at number four: Suresh Raina

“I wanted Rayudu to be India’s number four because he was working very hard, playing almost one and half years. He performed really well and he wasn’t there. I didn’t enjoy the tour in 2018 because of the circumstances where Rayudu failed his fitness test. It didn’t feel good that I was picked as he failed,” Raina was quoted as saying in Cricbuzz.

Raina made no hesitation in saying that Rayudu was India’s best bet at number four and the Men in Blue could also have won the World Cup with the right-hander in the side. Moreover, Raina was impressed with Rayudu’s batting in Chennai Super Kings’ five-day camp before the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL).

“He was good at number four. If he was part of the squad for the World Cup, we would have won the tournament. Rayudu was the best choice and as it’s the way he plays the game in the CSK. And he was batting really well in the camp in Chennai,” he added.

Rayudu and Raina will next be seen in the CSK colours during the IPL, scheduled to get underway on September 19 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). On August 15, Raina, along with MS Dhoni, announced his retirement from international cricket.

Back in 2005, the left-hander made his India debut as a teenager and dominated the ODI and T20I format. But despite a ton on his Test debut, his red-ball career could never take off. In the IPL, he is CSK’s leading run-scorer.