Kolkata: Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir took a subtle dig at Virat Kohli saying that the Indian captain need not bother about who the coach is and blamed the BCCI for immaturely dealing with the Kohli-Kumble saga that led to the latter’s resignation as the head coach.
After Kumble stepped down, many in the cricketing world felt that a legend of his stature did not deserve this treatment and Gambhir was no exception. Speaking to India Today, he said, “BCCI could have handled it in a lot more professional way. You got to give a legend like Anil Kumble a lot more respect. He is someone who has done so much for Indian cricket and has been a captain as well.”
He also said that such incidents project a poor image of the BCCI. “If you handle the issue in this fashion it gives a poor image,” he added.
The Delhi batsman who played a crucial role in India’s World Cup win in 2011 wasn’t done yet and took a dig at Virat Kohli saying that he shouldn’t be worried about the coach but instead should focus on the game.
He said, “I don’t think there will be external pressure on Virat. The coach has been appointed. The support staff is largely the same.”
“If this controversy had lingered on it could have been a distraction. Now it should not. The series is about to get underway. You have gone there to play as a cricketer. Who should be appointed is not your job. Your focus is on cricket,” he further added.
He also said that now the matter was over and everyone should shift their focus back to cricket because at the end of the day, the teams performance is what is judged.
“It’s done and dusted and the appointment has been made. Irrespective of whether Anil Kumble is the coach or Ravi Shastri, what’s more important is that India wins. After all the coaches performance is not analysed, the team’s performance is,” said Gambhir.