What’s the story?
The Indian team has been in an avalanche of controversies as there seems to be a constant speculation of strained relations between Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble at the very centre of the Champions Trophy action.
Former Indian captain and member of the CAC board, Sourav Ganguly, has urged anyone and everyone associated with the controversy to stay focused on the tournament and leave all their differences aside.
"Just deal with it. You’re a name, you’re captain of India, you’re coach of India, you’ll have to deal with it. Just keep quiet and play the game,” he stated.
The 44-year-old believes that controversies are a part of every professional sportsman’s career and dealing with them is absolutely imperative. Furthering his point, he gave the example of Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo and his ability to tackle speculation:
“You should not worry about it. Professionals find a way. Look at (Cristiano) Ronaldo. He’s in controversies every week but he still comes out and takes Real Madrid to the Champions League final.”
While talking to Sify, he also said that Indian players and officials need to ‘keep quiet and play the game.’
Also read: Sourav Ganguly to meet Indian team in England for feedback on Anil Kumble
In case you didn’t know...
There have been constant reports and insinuations flying around the alleged cold waters between the Indian coach and captain. Apparently, the issue trails back to India’s fourth test against Australia in 2017, when Kumble selected Kuldeep Yadav in the team in spite of Kohli’s disagreement.
Ramchandra Guha’s fiery letter to Vinod Rai following his resignation from the BCCI panel has also added to the negativity surrounding the Indian team right before their marquee clash against Pakistan on Sunday.
The details
When asked about the role of the Cricket Advisory Committee in re-evaluating the situation after the Champions Trophy, Ganguly said that it is too early to talk about that right now. He further added that the ongoing tournament is of the utmost importance at this moment and he is not thinking about anything else.
Talking about the India-Pakistan clash everyone is looking forward to, the Prince of Kolkata touted India to be the favourites for the game, on account of them getting better of their arch rivals in the last 15 years.
Also read: Shoaib Akhtar confident of Pakistan beating India at Edgbaston
What next?
Kumble’s one-year contract with the Indian team expires after the Champions Trophy and six probable candidates (including Kumble) are already shortlisted for the role. The future of the team management will be decided only after the CAC meeting convenes after the tournament.
Author’s take
Like he did for the most of his career, Ganguly has got it right yet again. While the controversies surrounding the Indian team seem to have no end, the players need to get their focus right before their Champions Trophy campaign begins.
They are international sportsmen and as Ganguly pointed out, they need to find a way to deal with internal as well as external issues. The sole aim of the captain, the coach and the entire team should be to win their opening match against arch-rivals tomorrow to get the momentum on their side.
