Anil Kumble Was Upset, Felt He Was Unfairly Treated - Former COA Chief Vinod Rai On Former Leg-Spinner's Coaching Stint With India

Former Committee of Administrators (COA) head Vinod Rai has made a major revelation in his new book, claiming that the former Indian head coach, Anil Kumble, was quite upset that he didn’t get a contract extension with the national team.

In Rai’s book titled, ‘Not Just A Nightwatchman: My Innings with BCCI’, Rai wrote that Kumble felt he deserved a contract extension considering how the team performed during his tenure with the Indian team.

“In my conversations with the 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.”

“I had spoken to Virat Kohli on the issue and he did mention that the younger members of the team felt intimidated by the way he worked with them,” Rai wrote.

“He felt a captain and team should not be given so much importance” – Vinod Rai

Additionally, Kumble felt at the time that the board should not be giving as much importance to what the players say considering it is the job of the head coach to ensure they act in a professional capacity and do what’s required of them.

“We had long conversations with Kumble after he had returned from the UK. He was obviously upset about the manner in which the entire episode had panned out. He felt he had been unfairly treated and a captain and team should not be given so much importance.”

“It was the duty of the coach to bring discipline and professionalism into the team and as a senior, his views should have been respected by the players.

“He was disappointed that we had given such importance to the following process and in view of the team’s performance, he deserved an extension,” he further wrote.

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