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Reportedly, Kumble and Kohli are having different opinion when it comes to the proposed pay hike for centrally contracted players Getty Images

Ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) bowled a googly to Anil Kumble by inviting fresh applications for the post of Team India s new head coach. Though there was nothing wrong with the process, which seems a routine one since Kumble s contract was up for renewal after June this year, the manner in which it came out raised suspicion as to something was wrong behind the curtains. The team, after all, had done exceptionally well under Kumble in his less than a year s tenure. With Virat Kohli also saying BCCI is only following a due process by inviting fresh application for chief coach’s post, doubts over the BCCI and Indian coach not being on the same page have only grown.

If a report in CricketNext is to be believed, Kumble and Kohli are having different opinion when it comes to the proposed pay hike for centrally contracted players. The report, quoting a senior BCCI official on conditions of anonymity, claimed Kumble had asked for an extra allowance for Kohli during his presentation. But Kohli personally has not asked for any hike yet.

“Never would Virat Kohli be on the same page on the captain getting paid extra for discharging the captain’s responsibility. In fact, I have personally had a word with him once or twice and he has always said that every player’s interest should be taken care of, but especially those who play just one format should be priority, the report quoted the official. “Actually Kumble wants to tag a few people just to strengthen his case. But his demand that the skipper be paid extra is mind-boggling,” it further read.

The board has maintained that Kumble will be considered a ‘direct entry’ for the process which will be executed by the Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. However, there is a growing discontent among the board members with the way Kumble has tried to negotiate players salaries after a successful stint.

Kumble is currently in England, where the Indian team is preparing for its title defence at the ICC Champions Trophy under him. He has had a great time with the team, as Team India has won every series under him.