‘Kumble’s presence was frightening for young players, said Kohli’; Vinod Rai’s book reveals

New Delhi: The ‘frosty’ relationship between Virat Kohli & Anil Kumble is one of the most talked-about in the history of Indian cricket. Their ‘uneasy ties’ on and off the field apparently led to ouster of leg spinner Anil Kumble as the coach of Indian cricket team.

Kumble’s ‘untimely’ exit had shook the cricketing world. Now, touching upon the controversial issue again is the former CAG Vinod Rai’s book on his experiences during his tenure as chief of Indian cricket.

Vinod Rai, ex Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) ran Indian cricket for nearly 3 years as he was appointed head of Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA).

In his book, he reveals that Kohli had reservations with the disciplinarian approach of then coach Anil Kumble.

Revisiting Kohli-Kumble episode, Rai says the relationship between captain & coach of the team was far from healthy.

In his book Not Just a Nightwatchman – My Innings in the BCCI, Rai wrote, “In my conversations with captain and team management, it was conveyed that Kumble was too much of a disciplinarian and hence the team members were not too happy with him.”

According to the leading daily, Vinod Rai says that Kohli did mention to him that the younger members of Team India felt intimidated by him, his conduct and his discipline.

Further sharing his experiences on Kumble, Rai wrote, “We talked with Kumble after he had returned from UK. He was upset over how the episode panned out. He felt he had been unfairly treated and a captain or team should not be given so much importance.

According to Rai, the ongoing spat between Kohli & Kumble was debated & discussed at many forums but all of a sudden coach Kumble took the matter in his owns hands and hanged up his boots.

“Kumble stepped down on his own — a move that came as “a bolt from the blue”,” reveals Rai’s book.