If there is anything to be learnt from the Kohli–Kumble saga, it’s that in cricket, the captain will always have the final say and Kohli could not have taken this stand without the backing of his dressing room.
JUNE 16, BIRMINGHAM
A day after he takes his team to the finals of the 2017 Champions Trophy with a masterful 96, Virat Kohli is out of bed at 7 am. Celebrations can wait, he has more pressing matters to attend to. An hour later, he’s heading to London whilst his teammates are still asleep. They can afford to be. Unlike their captain, they will travel at leisure, with nothing but a day’s rest to look forward to.
JUNE 16, LONDON
Four hours later, Kohli is sitting in a meeting room at the Taj Hotel in London’s St James Court. Sitting across him are three of the biggest names in Indian cricket—Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman. The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) has decided Anil Kumble will continue as coach of the India cricket team and want Kohli’s stamp of approval before making it official. But the captain is having none of it.
JUNE 17, LONDON
A day to go for the Champions Trophy final; in a last-ditch effort the CAC calls on Kohli, again. The agenda remains the same, but so does the outcome.
A top source would later tell SportS Illustrated India, “Virat refused to budge, despite repeated requests.” Kumble, it is learnt, was keen to iron out any differences between them, believing that the two of them could still work in tandem for the betterment of Indian cricket. The results of the last 12 months were testament to that. But according to the well-placed source, “For Kohli the relationship was irreparable.”
JUNE 18, LONDON
Favourites India are shocked in the final of the Champions Trophy by the lowest-seeded team in the competition, in what also turns out to be the biggest defeat in terms of runs to arch-rivals Pakistan in a one-day game.
This story is from the July 2017 edition of Sports Illustrated India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2017 edition of Sports Illustrated India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hockey World Cup- India Gears Up For Glory
Hosts India will have to play out of their skins to win their second Hockey Men’s World Cup title.
Best Fitness Games For Workout
If going to the gym and bulking up the body is your idea of getting in shape, it’s time you reconsider it. From bodyweight training to resistance and high-intensity workouts, here is how you can ace the fitness game without giving up on your workout targets for the year yet again.
Novak Djokovic Has Proved His Mettle Yet Again
Sport can be cruel and unforgiving, but it is also humbling. Over the years, many great athletes have succumbed to the various forces in playmost of which, if not all, are not under their controland while some could never reclaim their past glory, others showed why they really can never be counted out. Novak Djokovic is one of them
Do Virat Kohli's Captaincy Skills Call For A DRS?
No doubt Virat Kohli is the best batsman to have emerged from India in recent years. He is a lion among kittens, Atlas shouldering the weight of India's batting. But, as a captain overseas, he has a long way to go.
Lebron James
In 2016, Northeast Ohio’s Favourite Son Used His Incomparable Skills to Deliver a Title to a Suddenly Revitalised City, While Using His Voice to Have an Even Wider Impact.
Winter Workout: Hot Moves For Cold Days
With the advent of the chilly months, it can become tough to brave the cold and train when all you want to do is curl up under a warm blanket. Trainer Raoul Hirani and physiotherapist Tariq Wasim tell us how professional footballer keep going, without letting the cold play spoilsport.
A Steep Learning Curve
Making the transition from the junior level to the senior team has been quite challenging but a hugely rewarding experience.
Scorecard - Don't Blame It on Rio
Apathy towards the Olympics could cast golf in a negative light and jeo paradise its standing with the IOC for the 2024 Games and beyond.
Rahul Dravid: The Great Wall Of India
Rahul Dravid’s contribution to Indian cricket or, rather, the game, is not just confined to his record with the bat. A true philosopher, he continues to inspire as well as serve cricket on and off the field.
P.V. Sindhu, Sportsperson Of The Year
A Dream Run at the 2016 Olympics was followed by major successes on the International tour, making Sindhu the unanimous choice for the sportsperson of the Year award
