'If Kohli Didn't Like Anyone...'

'A player would be thinking that he is going to the World Cup. But you shut the door on him.'

Retired cricketer Robin Uthappa has levelled a serious charge against Virat Kohli, blaming the former captain for Ambati Rayudu's controversial exclusion from the 2019 World Cup squad.

In a candid interview with Lallantop, the YouTube site, Uthappa reflected on Rayudu's exclusion and didn't hold back from criticising then captain Kohli.

'If he (Virat Kohli) didn't like anyone, if he didn't feel someone is good, then they were cut. (Ambati) Rayudu is the prime example. You feel bad. Everybody has preferences, I agree, but you cannot close the door on a player after taking him to the cusp,' Uthappa said.

'He had World Cup clothes, World Cup kit bag, everything was there at his home. A player would be thinking that he is going to the World Cup. But you shut the door on him. That wasn't fair according to me,' Uthappa said.

Uthappa also called out Kohli for his alleged treatment of Yuvraj Singh during the latter's comeback from cancer.

Rayudu's exclusion became even more contentious during the tournament when India lost Shikhar Dhawan to injury and later Vijay Shankar as well.

Despite these setbacks, Rayudu was not called up to the squad. Frustrated and disheartened, Rayudu took to social media to express his disappointment.

The controversy deepened when Rayudu later revealed that he had a strained relationship with then-chief selector M S K Prasad. In response, Prasad maintained that selection decisions were a collective effort.

Rayudu eventually announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on May 29, 2023.