I have nothing more to say, says Anil Kumble on the Kohli fiasco

What’s the story?

While there seems to be no end to the controversies surrounding the ‘dead end’ between ex-India coach Anil Kumble and the current captain Virat Kohli, the former finally wants to put a lid on it all.

Kumble told NDTV that he had nothing more to convey regarding his resignation. This comes after Kohli on Thursday spoke about the importance of maintaining the sanctity of the dressing room.

“I have said what I wanted to, have nothing more to say,” Kumble was quoted by NDTV. “I am too seasoned. You will get nothing out of me.”

In case you didn’t know..

Anil Kumble put down his papers on Tuesday explaining that Kohli had ‘reservations’ about his style of coaching, and therefore, to protect the interest of Indian cricket, he thought it wise to quit.

The heart of the matter

The rumours of a fallout between the two had been doing the rounds since May, but it was only during the build-up to the Champions Trophy 2017 that the rumours found substance.

Kumble shared a picture of his resignation letter on Twitter, in which he spoke about the reason behind his resignation.

On the other hand, Kohli, on Thursday, addressing the press conference in the Caribbean on the eve of India’s first ODI against the West Indies, said that Kumble will always be respected as a cricketer. He also highlighted the importance of maintaining the sanctity of the dressing room, which Kumble did, and acknowledged him for the same.

What’s next?

Now that one person has walked away, the entire focus needs to be on cricket. Though West Indies are not among the top 8 ranked ODI teams, you cannot rule them out of the series, especially since they have the home advantage.

India’s performance will be under immense scrutiny after all that transpired in their dressing room, and the captain will be under pressure to produce results without the coach.

Author’s Take

It is natural for a coach and captain to not share the same wavelength. We have seen many of such instances in the past as well. Fallouts happen, but to mend them, one of the two has to walk away. And here, Kumble’s decision to resign, despite serving as an excellent coach in his 1-year tenure, needs to be applauded.