ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Reports of Virat Kohli-Anil Kumble rift have come at the wrong time, feels Sunil Gavaskar
What’s the story?
Ahead of the crucial clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar has asserted that those reports of a rift between captain Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble have come at the wrong time. However, the former skipper played down the seriousness of such speculations.
Gavaskar said, “You will never have a situation, where a captain and a coach will always be on the same page. It cannot happen because the coach is invariably somebody who has played in an earlier generation, so their attitude will always be slightly different.
“I don't think this (reports of a rift) should be taken seriously, this kind of discussion is in fact healthy. (A) coach should have a vision for Indian cricket which would carry Indian cricket forward for the next 8 to 10 years.”
He added, “I'm not sure whether these reports of a rift between Kumble and Kohli are true or not but the timing of this is certainly not right. We have got such a big game, which would decide how the Indian team would do in the tournament.”
The Background
A couple of days ago, reports shed light into the unhappiness of several Indian players in working with Kumble. Then, Kohli‘s alleged spat with the iconic leg-spinner came into the picture as the duo were understood be having differences of opinion on selection matters.
The heart of the matter
With Kumble’s one-year contract as coach coming to an end after the Champions Trophy, his future appears to be in the limbo. Even though he has gained ‘direct entry’ into the new selection process, his position seems to be shrouded in uncertainty following the emergence of reports alluding to turbulence in the dressing room.
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Kohli had apparently indicated his displeasure to BCCI’s Committee of Administrators (CoA) before the Indian team departed for England. Speculation is rife of him sharing his views with Sourav Ganguly who remains an integral part of the advisory panel tasked with conducting interviews for the role of head coach.
What’s next?
India begin their title defence in the 2017 edition of Champions Trophy with an eagerly awaited encounter against Pakistan at Edgbaston on June 4th. Kohli’s troops then take on Sri Lanka and South Africa at The Oval on 8th and 11th respectively.
Author’s Take
Gavaskar’s assessment is spot on as these reports pointing to a widening gap between Kohli and Kumble have indeed come at the wrong time. One can only hope that everyone involved within the Indian team is professional enough to put such issues to the backburner and concentrate on mounting a successful campaign in the Champions Trophy.