The BCCI has asked Indian team manager Kapil Malhotra to file his report on the ICC Champions Trophy, highlighting the environment in the dressing room in the context of the circumstances that have led to Anil Kumble’s resignation from the post of the Indian cricket team’s head coach.

While it is learnt that the BCCI CEO Rahul Johri has asked Malhotra to file his report, it is not known if he has been given a deadline, with the Board’s Special General Meeting to be held here in June 26, which will be preceded by meetings between the Committee of Administrators and the BCCI and its members on June 25.

Normally, a team manager’s report of a series would be mundane, to say the least. However, Malhotra’s observations are expected to throw light on the the relationship between Anil Kumble and Virat Kohli and the other players and the support staff.

His report, especially the parts regarding the goings on in the dressing room, the activity area in the ground and in the team hotel, could provide the Board and the CoA with crucial information.

Rumours are that Kohli and Kumble were “hardly on talking terms” right through the Champions Trophy. Sources who tracked the meeting between the BCCI officials Amitabh Choudhary, Rahul Johri and M.V. Sridhar, and Kohli and Kumble in London on Monday evening reported that it was “probably very fiery”.

As reported earlier, Malhotra, who was scheduled to return home after the Champions Trophy, has now been asked to travel to the West Indies as team manager, following a directive from the CoA.

The Committee had recently overturned the BCCI decision to name Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association secretary Milind Kanmadikar as team manager for the tour of the West Indies, deciding that Malhotra should continue in the role.

The CoA had also decided that the Board should soon invite applications for the post of a long-term professional manager.

A senior executive committee member of the Cricket Club of India, Malhotra had held the post when Ravi Shastri was the team director and Kohli was captain for the home Test series against South Africa in 2015.

But, after the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 in India, Gujarat’s Anil Patel was named manager for the long international season at home, before Malhotra — who appears to get along well with the team and the support staff — was reappointed manager for the Champions Trophy.

The BCCI had clearly not received any report from Patel, who held the post during the series against New Zealand, England, Bangladesh and Australia, suggesting Kohli might have had any reservations about Kumble’s style of functioning during that period.

(Courtesy: The Hindu)