Did Anil Kumble leak confidential WhatsApp conversation with senior Indian cricketers to media?

June 1, 2017

New Delhi, Jun 1: As all teams are preparing in full swing for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, a rift between Indian skipper Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble has made plenty of headlines.

AnilKumble

While it was earlier reported that Kohli and other senior members of the team were unhappy with the legendary leggie's approach, as per a report in DNA, Kumble leaked a Whatsapp conversation with Kohli and other senior members of the team to his friends in the media.

"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," a report in DNA quoted an unnamed senior BCCI official as saying.

After replacing Ravi Shastri as the coach of the team prior to the overseas series against West Indies last year, Kumble guided Indian team to several triumphs. While his contract, which is set to expire after ICC Champions Trophy 2017, was expected to be extended till the 2019 World Cup, BCCI's decision to invite applications for the position of new head coach gave an indication that all was not well between the skipper and the coach.

The DNA report added that Kumble had leaked confidential information to his friends in the media on more than one occasion.

While Kohli was said to have been happy with Shastri's style of coaching, it is unlikely that he will apply for the top job after his spat with Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) member Sourav Ganguly last time around.

The other two names in the race are of Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid.

It was also earlier reported that Kohli shot down Kumble's decision to play chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the final Test against Australia in the Test series ahead of IPL 2017.

?his may or may not be the reason. But we believe the people in the corridors of power have been told that Kumble is overbearing and doesn? give freedom to the players. It? sad that aspersions are cast on a legend of Indian cricket,?a BCCI official had earlier said.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
March 22,2024

IPL.jpg

The start of the world’s most lucrative cricket tournament in India is presenting investors with another big opportunity to cash in on the sport, months after the world’s most populous nation hosted the Cricket World Cup.

The eight-week long Indian Premier League begins March 22 for its 17th season. Since its inception, the fast-paced cricket tournament has become a corporate juggernaut to rival the National Football League in the US and the English Premier League in value.

Just as October’s Cricket World Cup boosted consumption in India for months, fans are expected to flock to restaurants, pubs and food delivery platforms over the duration of the tournament. This year’s IPL also coincides with general elections that will last for six weeks starting April 19, a period when companies are expecting higher food and drink sales as people flock to rallies and other events.

“There’s going to be a lot of spending,” said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Bank of Baroda. “IPL, as well as the election, gives a three-month corridor with enhanced economic activity.”

Stocks in India such as McDonald’s franchise operator Westlife Foodworld Ltd. and peer Sapphire Foods India Ltd. gained ahead of the first match on Friday, as well as hotels and beverage makers. Packaged-food companies could also stand to benefit from the IPL craze, said Sachil Bobade, an analyst at investment firm Dolat Capital Market.

The IPL ecosystem was valued at $11 billion (Rs 91,721 crores) in 2023, including the value of media rights and sponsorships, according to Indian valuation consulting firm D&P Advisory.

The league is also attracting record sums of money from sponsors and broadcasters. Conglomerate Tata Group won the title sponsorship rights of the tournament in January for a record 25 billion rupees ($300 million). Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s media venture secured the digital streaming rights in 2022 for five years for $2.7 billion, while Walt Disney Co. paid roughly the same for TV rights.

“There was a serious amount of bidding even this year,” said Vinit Karnik, head of entertainment, esports and sports at media agency GroupM South Asia. “I see growth in IPL in double digits year-on-year,” he adds.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.