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Anil Kumble opens up about his Team India coach job: I know the end could have been better but have no regrets

Former India captain and legendary bowler Anil Kumble opened up on the way he quit India coach job: I know the end could have been better but have no regrets.

Anil Kumble opens up about his Team India coach job: I know the end could have been better but have no regrets

New Delhi, July 22: Former India captain Anil Kumble stepping down from the post of India's head coach following differences with skipper Virat Kohli is one of the saddest episodes of Indian cricket.

Kumble resigned from his office after the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 as the rifts between the captain as well as the coach turned irreparable.

The legendary leg-spinner while speaking to former Zimbabwe cricketer Pommie Mbangwa during an Instagram live session, said he does not have regrets about it and that he enjoyed working with Team India as the coach. It was during Kumble's tenure when Team India rose to the No. 1 spot Test, defeated Australia in Test series at home and reached the Champions Trophy final.

"I was very happy that I took up that role [India coach]. It was great, the one year I spent with the Indian team was really fantastic," Kumble said.

"Having been with great performers and again being a part of the Indian dressing room is a great feeling. We did really well in that one year period. I was really happy that there were some contributions made and there are no regrets. I was happy moving on from there as well. I know the end could have been better but then that's fine.

"As a coach, you realise, when it's time to move on, it's the coach who needs to move on. I was really happy I played a significant role in that one year," Kumble said.

The Karnataka cricketer said he wanted to take a break after working with IPL franchise Mumbai Indians for three years to spend some time with his family. But the family members encouraged him to apply for India coach's job.

"Being a part of the IPL, first with RCB as a mentor and then with Mumbai Indians as a mentor, it was really satisfying and heartening because we won the IPL for the first time when I was part of the Mumbai Indians. Since then, they have never looked back, they have won 4 titles over the last 7 years.

"Of course, I gave a break because my kind, the younger two children, hadn't seen anything other than IPL during their holidays. When I completed 3 years with Mumbai Indians, I sort of said I needed to take a break and take the kids on a holiday.

"When I returned I saw an ad calling for the coach for the Indian team. I then sort of asked around the family, I asked my wife what she thought. She said 'yeah, give it a go.'. I said 'see it means back to playing days, probably worse off because you tend to travel a lot more'. She said 'it's okay'. The kids are young, these 2 are young, the older one, probably, she is on her own. She said 'it's fine, you carry on. Apply, there is no harm in applying'.

"I got that job. It was because the sort of comfort I had with my family and kids, I took it up," Kumble added further.

Kumble was appointed the head coach of Kings XI Punjab ahead of IPL 2020 season and now that the decks are cleared for IPL 13, he'll soon get busy with the franchise.

"I am now looking forward to being a part of the Kings XI team. Over the 12 years, Kings have been able to consistently do well. So whenever the IPL happens, I am looking forward to being part of the dressing room again," Kumble said.

Story first published: Wednesday, July 22, 2020, 17:30 [IST]
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