Laxman was replaced by Dinesh Mongia in the 2003 World Cup squad.
Despite his brilliance in the longest format, the legendary batter never got a chance to play a World Cup game. In December 2002, he was dropped from the squad for the 2003 edition of World Cup in South Africa. Dinesh Mongia replaced him in the side.
More than a couple of decades later, then-captain Sourav Ganguly opened up on Laxman’s omission and how the latter was left deeply hurt by the decision.
Ganguly also revealed that the dejected Laxman did not speak to him for three months after the team selection.
“It has happened many times when we rested players. They were unhappy. Laxman being left out of the World Cup...he never spoke to me for three months. Then I made up with him. Anybody would get upset...for a World Cup. Especially a player of Laxman's calibre. Quite natural that he would get upset. After we finished the World Cup, he was happy that we did well,” Ganguly said while speaking to PTI.
Laxman's ODI numbers weren't quite impressive back then - 1240 runs at an average of just 27.55 and a strike rate of only 67.02. Eventually, it was Mongia who got the nod in the World Cup squad.
Ganguly, however, praised Laxman for his brilliant comeback to the ODI team after the World Cup, where India had finished as runners-up.
“When we came back, he returned to the ODI system. He played an outstanding series in Pakistan and Australia. We won in Pakistan for the first time ever, and VVS was very instrumental. They knew at the back of their mind that it was never personal.”
While speaking on the Caught Behind YouTube channel last year, former India chief selector Kiran More had revealed that all five selectors were on the same page regarding Laxman’s selection in the World Cup squad, but Ganguly and head coach John Wright had reservations.
"Before the 2003 ODI World Cup selection meeting, we had a huge argument when the Indian team was playing in New Zealand. As per the inputs received from the captain and the coach, we selected a 14-member squad and asked them what they thought of it," More had said.
"Over the conference call, Ganguly had a different opinion. We had selected VVS Laxman as our middle-order batter. Ganguly was very smart. He was a brilliant captain, a person with a great cricketing brain. He said 'we need an all-rounder'.
"All five selectors were on the same page. We thought, 'how could we drop someone like Laxman'. But when we eventually had an elaborate discussion with all the stakeholders including captain, coach, and vice captain Rahul Dravid, we eventually took a big call that we have to give them what they want," he further remarked.
Laxman finished his ODI career with 2338 runs in 86 matches, have an average and strike rate of 30.76 and 71.23 respectively. He also had 6 centuries to his name in the 50-over format.