Anil Kumble quits as Indian cricket team’s coach

Anil Kumble has reportedly stepped down as India's chief cricket coach amid speculation of a rift with captain Virat Kohli.

Although, none of the BCCI top officials, who are in London for the ICC Annual Conference, were available for confirmation but it is being widely reported that Kumble has submitted his resignation.

Kumble's decision comes in the wake of reports claiming rifts between him and Kohli, and just two days after India's embarrassing loss to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final.

His one-year contract expired at the end of the Champions Trophy but he was given the option to travel with the team to the West Indies for the limited overs series beginning on Friday.

However, Kumble decided to stay back in London for the ICC Annual Conference, as he is the chairman of the Cricket Committee, while the Indian team boarded the flight to Barbados.

The BCCI had invited fresh applications for the post of head coach days before the start of Champions Trophy. Kumble was a direct entry into the coach selection process while the others who applied for the post were Tom Moody, Richard Pybus and Lalchand Rajput among others.

On the sidelines of the Champions Trophy in the UK, the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) members Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly held meetings with Kumble as well as Kohli to sort out the differences between the duo.

It was being widely perceived in the BCCI that in the meeting between Kohli and CAC, the skipper had made it clear that his relationship with the coach had reached a dead end.

It was only the CAC which had picked Kumble as the coach last year.

The team did well under Kumble in the past 12 months, winning Test series in the West Indies before winning at home against New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia.

Former India spinner Bishan Bedi tweeted: “Gratitude has obviously been thrown out of window by whoever is raising ‘revolt’ against India’s giant @anilkumble1074! Loser’s Indian Cricket of course!”