Rayudu was given the World Cup snub for a third time, when India’s selectors picked Karnataka batsman Mayank Agarwal to replace Vijay Shankar, whose tournament was ended by a toe injury.

Rayudu was also not considered when Shikhar Dhawan returned home with a hairline fracture on his left thumb. Instead, India opted for 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who has since gone on to make his World Cup debut. This despite the fact that Rayudu was among the reserves named by the BCCI when they announced the original 15-man World Cup squad.

Rayudu captained India at the 2004 Under 19 Cricket World Cup – a team comprising future internationals Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik and Robin Uthappa. He is also a four-time IPL champion, having lifted the trophy thrice with Mumbai, in 2013, 2015 and 2017, and once with Chennai in 2018.