Gavaskar plays down Kohli-Kumble rift

India legend Sunil Gavaskar has played down tensions of a rift between captain Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble ahead of the team’s ICC Champions Trophy campaign.

Ahead of the defending champions launching their tournament against Pakistan in Birmingham on Sunday, Indian media has been abuzz with reports of differences between Kohli and Kumble over tactics and training.

With Kumble's one-year contract ending this month, the Indian board's move to re-advertise his job ahead of the 50-over showpiece event raised eyebrows given the team’s outstanding success during his tenure.

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However, Gavaskar believes the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was just "following procedure".

In an attempt to reassure fans, the 125-Test veteran said an invitation for applications did not reflect tensions in the Kohli-Kumble relationship, suggesting instead that different viewpoints between captain and coach were very much par for the course.

"You will never have a situation when the captain and coach of any country is on the same page," Gavaskar said at a cricket convention in London on Wednesday.

"It is impossible for that to happen because the coach had played in the earlier generation and that's why the approach may be slightly different from the current generation.

"It might not be something actually happening on the field – it could be something to do with practice sessions or team combinations. 

"I don't think that should be taken too seriously because these discussions are healthy for the team."

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Indian newspapers have speculated that cracks in the Kohli-Kumble relationship prompted the BCCI to hunt for a new coach, with applications for the position having closed on Wednesday.

The Times of India reported that players were not happy with Kumble's 'hard task-master' approach, and that the captain and coach had several run-ins during this year's home series against Australia.

A headline in The Hindu read "Kohli, Kumble at loggerheads?" with the report adding that Kumble's proposal to field left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the third Australia Test in Ranchi set off trouble between the two.

Yadav was later included in the playing XI in the fourth and final Test, in which Ajinkya Rahane leading the side in place of an injured Kohli.

Despite the apparent tensions, Kumble has had a brilliant run of results as coach, helping the Kohli-led side win all five Test series since his appointment in June last year.

"Kumble has done a very good job as coach. I am simply going by the results and when you go by the results of last year, you can say he has done nothing wrong," said Gavaskar, the first batsman to breach the 10,000-run mark in Tests.

It was also reported that the advertisement of the India coaching job has met with a lukewarm response, with few big names coming forward.

While Kumble is an automatic candidate for a new contract, the Times of India reported Australia's Tom Moody and New Zealand's Daniel Vettori were also being discussed.

Champions Trophy 2017 Guide

AUSTRALIA SQUAD: Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa

Other squads: Every Champions Trophy squad

Group A: Australia, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh.

Group B: India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan.

Schedule

Warm-up matches

26 May – Australia d Sri Lanka by two wickets, The Oval

27 May – Bangladesh lost to Pakistan by two wickets, Edgbaston

28 May – India d New Zealand by 45 runs (D/L Method), The Oval

29 May – Australia v Pakistan no result, Edgbaston

30 May – New Zealand d Sri Lanka by six wickets, Edgbaston

30 May – India d Bangladesh by 240 runs, The Oval

Tournament

1 June – England v Bangladesh, The Oval (Day)

2 June – Australia v New Zealand, Edgbaston (D)

3 June – Sri Lanka v South Africa, The Oval (D)

4 June – India v Pakistan, Edgbaston (D)

5 June – Australia v Bangladesh, The Oval (D/N)

6 June – England v New Zealand, Cardiff (D)

7 June – Pakistan v South Africa, Edgbaston (D/N)

8 June – India v Sri Lanka, The Oval (D)

9 June – New Zealand v Bangladesh, Cardiff (D)

10 June – England v Australia, Edgbaston (D)

11 June – India v South Africa, The Oval (D)

12 June – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (D)

14 June – First semi-final (A1 v B2), Cardiff (D)

15 June – Second semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (D)

18 June – Final, The Oval (D)

19 June – Reserve day (D)