Did Team India chief coach Anil Kumble leak some one-on-one conversations with senior players to a selective media?

Is captain Virat Kohli more comfortable with former team director Ravi Shastri than Kumble?

The answer to both the questions appear to be an emphatic yes. However, the big question is who is willing to step into the shoes of Kumble?

With the last date approaching fast (May 31) to apply for top cricket coaching job in India, nobody so far has shown interest in it. And it is unlikely Shastri will make any move going by the ugly spat between him and cricket advisory committee (CAC) member Sourav Ganguly the last time.

Going by insiders in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Kohli has made it clear that it would not be an easy task for anyone in the team to rebuild the same level of trust with Kumble.

The legendary leg-spinner had replaced Shastri as head coach before last year’s overseas series against the West Indies.

It is believed that the top officials of the BCCI top officials have been apprised by few seniors in the team that Kumble on more than one occasion has leaked “one-on-one” talks with senior players to his selective group of “friends in the media”.

A senior BCCI official said, “We’ve been told that there is a WhatsApp group created by Kumble of his few trusted media friends and few confidential talks between him and senior players were leaked through that.”

The situation came to such an extent that Kohli shot down Kumble’s suggestion to field Chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav during the third Test in Ranchi. Kumble is said to have forced stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane to rope in Yadav as the third spinner during the last Test against Australia in Dharamshala.

Who else then?

There are two names doing the rounds. One is former swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag. While the other is coach of India’s junior team Rahul Dravid. The names have apparently been floated by a member of Committee of Administrators, Ramachandra Guha.

However, the problem with Guha’s choice is that Dravid has been associated with an Indian Premier League team, Delhi Daredevils, and that rules him out because of the the Justice Lodha panel recommendations.

“At this highest level, a team needs a good man manager and not a great name. We’ve seen how a cricketing great like Greg Chappell literally created a friction in Team India during his tenure. We certainly don’t want that kind of situation and I hope the three-member CAC — Sachin Tendulkar, Ganguly and VVS Laxman — would consider all these things before taking a final call,” said a senior official.

“Kohli and Kumble are both strong personalities and Indian cricket fans would certainly not want a situation like the old,” added the official.

Though, Sehwag has not reacted so far to the speculations but the pressure is still on him to at least send an email to the BCCI secretary.

COA’s could mediate

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that COA chief Vinod Rai might try to broker peace between Kumble and Kohli during his private visit to England in the first week of June.

“COA is apparently keen to have Kumble again but then Kohli’s opinion is also very critical,” said a source close to COA. “Rai is visiting London during the course of Champions Trophy and it is believed that he would speak to all the parties involved, including the CAC before the final interviews on June 5 and 6,” said the source, adding: “If no solution is found then expect a new coach on June 10.”