Kohli and Kumble were not on the same wavelength, captain had upper hand over coach: Former team manager Ratnakar Shetty

Anil Kumble stepped down as the head coach of the Indian side in the year 2017. Kumble’s stint lasted for just a year, and the former Indian cricketer stated that his relationship with Virat Kohli had become untenable.

And, the former manager of the Indian cricket team, Ratnakar Shetty has opened up on the Kumble-Kohli relationship. Shetty stated that there were some people who did not want Kumble to continue in the role of head coach of the side. Shetty made it clear that Kohli and Kumble were not on the same page, and the skipper had the upper hand in this matter.

“It was obvious that some people did not want Anil to continue as coach. The captain and coach did not appear to be on the same wavelength and it seemed that the captain had the upper hand,” wrote Ratnakar Shetty in his memoir as quoted by The Indian Express.

I learnt about a meeting which took place in London before the Champions Trophy final: Ratnakar Shetty

Ratnakar Shetty also added that there was a meeting that took place in England before the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy between India and Pakistan. Adding that Kohli was not happy as Kumble was not standing up for the players, Shetty concluded by stating that Kohli felt there was a tense atmosphere in the dressing room.

“I learnt later about a meeting that took place in London before the final of the Champions Trophy, which we lost to Pakistan. Apparently, Virat was not happy with Anil ‘for not standing up for the players and creating a tense atmosphere in the dressing room’, among other things,” concluded Ratnakar Shetty.

After the exit of Anil Kumble, former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri was appointed as the head coach of the Indian cricket team. Shastri was in charge of the side for over 4 years, and his term ended after India were knocked out of the 2021 T20 World Cup in the semifinal stages of the tournament. Rahul Dravid is currently the head coach of the Indian cricket team.