Vinod Rai, the former head of the Committee of Administrators (CoA), has issued a clarification and rubbished all claims of Virat Kohli’s alleged difference with former India head coach Anil Kumble.

The former IAS officer was the head of the four-member panel that was appointed by the Supreme Court in the wake of the IPL corruption controversy, which led to a two-year ban on Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings.

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The 73-year-old, who was at the helm of BCCI for nearly three years, has shared his experience of managing the world’s richest cricket board in his book titled ‘Not Just a Nightwatchman – My Innings in the BCCI’

In his book, he has also thrown light on the infamous Kohli-Kumble controversy in 2017 which ended with the latter’s resignation. Rai, in his book, has revealed that Kohli had complained that the younger members of the team felt intimidated by Kumble’s overtly disciplinarian approach.

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Based on the excerpt of Rai’s book, the fans started lashing out at the former India skipper for disrespecting a legend of Indian cricket and forcing him to resign from his head coach job.

However, the former BCCI boss has now issued a clarification saying he never claimed there were differences between Kohli and Kumble. In fact, he has come out in Kohli’s defence and said that as a captain of the side it was his duty to speak on behalf of the players and he fulfilled his role to perfection.

"Virat Kohli was not at fault...", says #VinodRai on the Virat Kohli Anil Kumble saga. Opens up on the whole issue in Backstage With Boria.#BWB Promo@AgeasFederal @imVkohli
Full interview Coming Soon! pic.twitter.com/0c9jymqwM4

— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) April 9, 2022

“In interviews and in the book, I have made it very clear that Virat as captain of the team was only representing the team's feelings. Many people have asked me ‘what’s the behaviour between Virat and Anil Kumble?’. I said ‘listen number one we didn’t see them together in those three months and number two between Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble, there was no dissonance’,” Rai told Boria Majumdar on ‘Backstage With Boria’ show. 

He also reiterated that it was not Kohli but the junior members of the team that felt intimidated by Kumble’s approach and being the leader of the squad the former cricketer only did his job and conveyed the team’s feelings to him. 

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“Virat as captain was speaking only on behalf of the team and I have said on record that it was junior members of the team who felt intimidated. So, it is wholly unnecessary that the whole blame is being put on Virat Kohli – the captain,” Rai explained. 

Virat Kohli is such a gem of a person. Faced so much of backlash still didn't spoke a single word about this episode ever.
He has always taken the stand for his teammates who has now become https://t.co/S2wUszKNZv

— . (@Vaishnavi2110) April 9, 2022

He took all the blame on himself
Another reason to love him more. https://t.co/TPlkl6csax

— Simran (@_Vk_18) April 9, 2022

"sources" "reports" "rumours" and countless social media handles paid to post abuses and false info on Kohli !!! Virat is media's favourite, write any shit on him and it gets viral !!!
Don't worry my friend, Life's a circle, it'll come back very soon !!! https://t.co/N949QXs3Ro

— Ashritha (@imashritha) April 9, 2022

Those who slammed virat by saying that he disrespected a legend like kumble should watch this. #DECLAREUPSIRESULT https://t.co/jSXpizIDKk

— Akshat𓃵 (@buliwalakshat1) April 9, 2022

Understandable why bishnoi , srk and other youngsters wanted to change there ipl team https://t.co/fdL0nhFcFE

— shivam (@amicosunny) April 9, 2022

After Kumble's sacking,everyone blamed and thrashed Virat Kohli left,right and centre but still Kohli didn't even utter a word and remained as professional as he could. Still some people (we know who) took it as a personal vendetta and did everything he could to take Kohli down. https://t.co/yYCLVachCf

— Karan Chhabra (@ChhabraKkc) April 9, 2022

After Rai’s clarification, Kohli fans are hailing the former India skipper for taking all the blame on himself and never saying anything about this issue out in the open despite receiving scathing criticism from everywhere.

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