Kohli V/S Kumble: Clash Of Personalities

ICC Champions trophy 2017 ended on Sunday with India’s arch rival Pakistan lifting the cup. The match was a debacle for India with the men in blue losing miserably. Following the catastrophic match, Anil Kumble resigned from his position as the Head Coach of the Indian cricket team.

On Tuesday night, Anil Kumble made public a letter saying that he is resigning due to some rift with the ‘captain’ of the Indian cricket team.

Now if sources are to be believed, Kohli and Kumble had not been on talking terms for the last six months. This news has thrown fans into tizzy and has got them to thinking if this tussle was the reason behind India’s poor performance at the Champions Trophy finale match.

Well, let us not forget,there are always two sides to a coin and by far, we only know Kumble’s side  of the story. –  Hence, let’s not jump to conclusions without a statement from the captain himself. Also, questioning Kumble’s dedication towards the team would not be right considering the legendary game where he played despite a broken jaw.

According to some sources, Kumble treated the team like children and scolded them after the ICC Champions Trophy finals instead of addressing them as professionals. This led to Kohli defending his team, which aggravated the tussle between the two men. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the match was the last straw for Kohli.

Every story has a back story to it. Similarly, differences between Kohli and Kumble first evolved during the Australian series when Kumble went ahead with a decision opposed by Kohli.

Cut to the present, Kumble’s resignation has put tremendous pressure on the captain and BCCI has warned Kohli to deliver as a captain or else he will have to face major consequences.

In a statement to The Times of India, an official said, ” Kohli had veto power in the issue about the coach which pushed Kumble out of the team. Now that Kohli has his way, he has to deliver as a captain, failing which he will have to bear the consequences,”

According to sources, during a meeting with the CAC in London, Kohli mentioned having lack of trust in the coach, however,  he was willing to work with Kumble if needed. Agreeing to the same, Kumble said that he had no problem with Kohli either..

The CAC had voted in Kumble’s favour, however, he had gone through enough and decided to resign.

The letter posted by Kumble on Twitter has angered many fans who are now asking for Dhoni’s return as the captain and demaning that Kohli be sacked instead of Kumble. India’s big loss on Sunday has disappointed fans which led to a series of hate tweets.

Here are some reactions from the Twitterati:

Well, the tournament has ended. However, the Indian cricket team (including the BCCI and CAC) needs to get their act together so that they never lose a match and keep the fans happy.