Fact Check: Did Ambati Rayudu Make 3D Glasses Remark To Intentionally Hurt Vijay Shankar After 2019 World Cup Snub?

The biggest talking point ahead of the 2019 ODI World Cup, from India's perspective, was the non-selection of Ambati Rayudu in the India squad. Rayudu was India's consistent No 4 batter for almost one year before he was suddenly replaced by all-rounder Vijay Shankar. The then Chief of Selectors MSK Prasad reasoned that Shankar was a '3D player' and his presence would help India with all-round skills. That decision irked Rayudu so much that he made a tweet that is still talked about a lot among fans. Rayudu said that "Just ordered a new set of 3D glasses to watch the World Cup." It was a direct dig at the selectors for choosing Shankar in his place.

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After four years, Rayudu has finally explained his tweet, saying that his frustration was to do with him being replaced by a comparitively inexperienced player. "See if they would have picked someone like Rahane or any similar ilk of a player or someone who is experienced and senior it would have been understandable. Everyone wants India to win. They have not picked me for whatever reason which only they would know. But when you replace me with someone it should be helpful to the team as well. That is where I got angry. It was not about Vijay Shankar. What could have he done? He was playing his cricket. Whatever the thinking behind I could not understand. I could not understand if they were playing a World Cup or a normal league match," Rayudu told TV9 Telugu.

Rayudu also targetted 'that one person in Hyderabad' behind this sudden change of plans on part of the selectors. He said, "Team selection is not the work of one person. Like, there are some people in team management, may be because of them. Like there used to be one gentleman in Hyderabad. Maybe they didn't like me or some incidents from the past may have caused them to look at me differently. So my career became like a cycle of these kind of people showing up."

Rayudu did not attack Vijay Shankar with 3D remark

Rayudu also explained that he did not want to hurt Shankar with the 3D comment. The Hyderabad-born player said that his rant was more to do with failure to understand the thinking and logic behind the selection of Shankar. Rayudu said that he did not have anything personal against Shankar. "Everyone went after Vijay Shankar. I did not have that intention. I could not understand their thinking and logic. If you have decided to replace me, you could have picked a similar player. How can you pick a player who plays numbers 6 and 7 and put him at 4? I don't have anything personal against Vijay Shankar and MSK Prasad. I have played in New Zealand before the World Cup in similar conditions. I have been preparing well. Only those people can answer what went on," said Rayudu.