Amitabh Choudhary denies any rift between Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli

What's the story?

BCCI's acting secretary, Amitabh Choudhary has put all rumours about the rift between Indian skipper Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble to rest. He expressed his unawareness about any such incident and termed them as mere speculations.

“Not only me, the whole country is happy with Kumble. However, the ones who will make a decision is the advisory committee,” said Amitabh commenting upon the possible replacement of Kumble as the coach of the Indian cricket team.

He further added that it was a normal time for the advertisement about a new coach and is all a part of the process. Hence, the talks about the appointment of a coach are only because Kumble's contract is coming to an end and the advisory board is following the due procedure.

In case you didn't know...

Recent reports suggested that there is some rift between the Indian skipper and the coach regarding the tactics and training of the team. To add to the chaos, BCCI advertised for the job of team India's coach right ahead of Champions Trophy despite Anil Kumble winning nearly everything on offer in his one year at the helm.

The deadline for the same ended last Wednesday and according to Choudhary, the process of selection has already reached the shortlisting period and will soon be made public.

The heart of the matter

Amitabh's presence in Birmingham led to speculations that he was there to restore peace between Kohli and Kumble. However, he completely thrashed the rumour. He also justified the actions of the board as long as they are abiding by the process. He expressed that the advisory committee is processing the decision to select an apt coach for the team who will aid the team in growing.

He further mentioned that soon the board will reveal the names of shortlisted applicants. Having said that, he also added that team India has continuously been a part of a tournament or series one after another.

What's next?

With Kumble's contract coming to an end this month, he will again have to present a roadmap for the future to continue his tenure. The advisory committee has already shortlisted the applicants with Virender Sehwag, Lalchand Rajput, Dodda Ganesh, Tom Moody and Richard Pybus making the cut for the fierce job alongside the legendary Indian spinner, Anil Kumble.

Author's note

Whoever comes in, the important part remains that the coach and the players establish a healthy rapport bearing mutual respect and create room for communication.