CoA guarantees Virat Kohli & Co. will get their shot at defending their Champions Trophy

The Committee of Administrators (CoA), of the Board of Control for Cricket in India has recently assured an anxious Virat Kohli that the team will get their chance of defending the Champions Trophy this summer in England and Wales. Team India is currently holding the Champions Trophy after their win in 2013.

Skipper Kohli has been sceptical lately regarding his chances of leading the side in the tournament due to the ongoing tiff between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the BCCI. The CoA’s assurance should sooth Virat as well as the team who have been eyeing the CT 2017 to make a mark in limited-overs cricket this season after they had a wonderful run in Tests.

“Virat Kohli was feeling anxious and down, we have allayed fears and assured him that India will play the Champions Trophy”, said a source according to India Times. It was brought to Vinod Rai’s notice that 10 loyalists of N Srinivasan were involved in a teleconference where pulling out and taking legal action against the global body were discussed.

Earlier this week, CoA chief Vinod Rai advised the BCCI that they cannot pull out of the tournament as it would implicate that India would not be able to participate in any major ICC tournament until 2023.

“It was brought to our knowledge that some of the officials were engaged in a teleconference and wanted to take a decision on the said matter. One needs to understand that this kind of a decision cannot be taken in haste. A Champions Trophy pullout will lead to India not playing in ICC tournaments for the next eight years. It cannot be decided by a few members,” said Rai.

He further mentioned that all 30 members of the BCCI have to have similar consent regarding the pull-out decision, “There can’t be a fractured mandate where some are in favor of a pull-out and quite a few against the motion. If you ask me, the extreme step should only be taken if all the 30 members decide unanimously that a pull-out is necessary,” he said.

Thereafter, CoA has been in constant touch with Indian captain and head coach Anil Kumble, trying to wipe off the speculations and apprehensions via texts.