New Delhi: With India cricket team coach Ravi Shastri’s tenure set to come to an end after the upcoming T20 World Cup, it is said that Anil Kumble might be back as India head coach, as per reports.
As per reports, Anil Kumble along with VVS Laxman may be asked by the BCCI to apply for the top job once Ravi Shastri exits.
Kumble, the former captain and legendary leg-spinner, was the coach of the Indian team for a year between 2016-17 when the Cricket Advisory Committee headed by Sachin Tendulkar, Laxman and Ganguly had appointed him, replacing Shastri. However a bitter fall-out with captain Virat Kohli led to Kumble tendering his resignation after the Champions Trophy final defeat against Pakistan.
Four years ago, soon after Kumble’s exit, Kohli had prevailed upon the BCCI, governed then by a committee led by former CAG Vinod Rai, to get Shastri as the replacement. But now, with a new regime at the helm after the implementation of a Supreme Court-mandated panel’s recommendations, it is learnt that ways to bring Kumble back are being explored.
With Kohli stepping down as T20 captain soon, the BCCI is convinced that the team requires a new coach.
In its press release Thursday after Kohli’s decision, BCCI secretary Jay Shah had stated that the board has a clear roadmap for Team India.It is believed that BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had wanted Kumble to continue in 2017, despite Kohli’s reservations, when he was a member of the BCCI’s Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC).
With Kumble as coach — he was appointed in June 2016 — India reached the final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, which they lost to Pakistan. He is currently in the UAE as head coach and director of cricket operations for the IPL franchise Punjab Kings.
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