Former CoA chief Vinod Rai opens up on Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli's rift

The former head of the Committee of Administration (CoA) Vinod Rai has unveiled that he wanted Anil Kumble to continue as Indian coach after the widespread fallout in 2017 between Kumble and Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

During his one year stint the legendary spinner grew up to be one of the most successful coaches with the men in blue shone in all three formats of the game.But because of difference of opinion between him and Virat Kohli, Anil Kumble was eventually compelled to resign from his post as the BCCI started looking for his replacements.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Vinod Rai stated that he would have continued with Anil Kumble if he had an extention clause.

"Anil Kumble was the best coach available. If his contract had an extension clause, I would have extended it. I have too much respect and regard for Kumble. But since there was no extension clause and since I wasn’t equipped to decide, we fell back on CAC. We inherited the CAC, not created it," said Rai.

Vinod Rai also went into share piece of information about what went on between him, the CAC and the coach-captain duo as the event unfurled during the 2017 Champions Trophy.

"I had a long chat with Sachin then and Sourav now. I met Sachin in Birmingham during the Champions Trophythey were meeting Kumble and Viratand I told Sachin I had a long chat with Virat (when he was in Mumbai and I was in Hyderabad) on the telephone. I barely knew Virat then. I told Sachin, I felt he was not willing to accept that Kumble continues. So you people have a word with him. Coming from people of your stature, you may be able to persuade him’. I know Sachin and Sourav spoke to him. Sourav told me recently that they had a long chat with him. If they couldn’t persuade him how could I?

"Look, if there is a difference in the dressing room between captain and coach, who is more dispensable? Obviously, the coach. That’s where we got caught. Dirty linen got washed in public. Ramachandra Guha resigned (as CoA member). The same thing arose with the issue of Mithali Raj and Ramesh Powar. Dissonance in the dressing room and we had to fall back on CAC again. There was so much controversy. Who could have handled it better? If this had happened today, Sourav would have thrust Kumble down Virat’s throat. But it could have created more tensions. I respected Kumble because he walked out," said Rai.

On old faces still clinging to position of power within the BCCI and it state units, Vinod Rai expects that the compulsory cooling off period initiated due to the Lodha reforms will stop the practice.

"The constitution doesn’t bar a brother or sister or daughter from coming in. It is the mindset of those who were holding BCCI captive that has tried to find loopholes. I still don’t care. I think the cooling-off principle will restrict that... the three states who didn’t comply were not there at the AGM," said Rai.

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