Virat Kohli engineered Anil Kumble’s exit, according to leaked emails

Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket team skipper apparently engineered former coach Anil Kumble’s exit from the team following the end of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 tournament. According to a recently leaked email accessed by Agence France-Presse (AFP), a senior BCCI official wrote to Vinod Rai, the Committee of Administrators head that Kohli "frequently sent SMSs to the CEO (Rahul Johir) on which you acted and there was a change in the coach". Diana Edulji, one of the members of the CoA, also added her inputs in the mail stating, “Mr Kumble a legend in his own right was subjected to loss of face and made to look like a villain. He was gracious enough to move on for which I respect him. There also, rules were broken and I had raised objections back then.”

The leaked email saga has added a new twist to the Virat Kohli-Anil Kumble feud. Kumble had helped India reclaim the No.1 ranking in Tests and propelled India to the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. However, following their loss to Pakistan in the final, Kumble quit over a rift with, saying his relationship with the skipper was “untenable”. The Board of Control for Cricket in India had denied any division in the Indian camp.

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Kumble’s replacement was Ravi Shastri. The former India batsman was always the frontrunner for the job, with many experts pointing to his time as India’s team director from 2014-16 and the warm relationship he shared with Kohli.

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Kohli, who is currently leading the Indian cricket team in the series against Australia, has so far not commented on this issue. The Indian cricket team is leading the four-match series against Australia 1-0 thanks to their 31-run win in the Adelaide Test and they have a chance to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a win in Perth.