Team India wants to participate in Champions Trophy, defend title: Anil Kumble tells BCCI

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New Delhi, May 5: India's head coach Anil Kumble has conveyed to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that Men In Blue are keen on participating in the Champions Trophy 2017 to defend their title.

CT 2017 schedule; 'Declare India squad for CT 2017 immediately'

The Indian cricket board hasn't yet declared the Indian squad for the upcoming tournament due to logjam between the BCCI and International Cricket Council (ICC).

As per a report published in Mumbai Mirror, BCCI sources were quoted as saying that "important players had expressed their desire to play in the Champions Trophy, and that India coach Kumble had taken the lead in this matter."

Kumble's message to the board clearly states that India skipper Virat Kohlia and his men are eager to participate in the ICC event, that India won in 2014.

Earlier, former India captains Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid opined that Team India should participate in the event, scheduled to start from June 1.

As per an ESPNCricinfo report, former India cricketers Zaheer Khan, Gundappa Viswanath, Sandeep Patil, Sanjay Manjrekar, Aakash Chopra, Ajit Agarkar, Venkatesh Prasad, Saba Karim, Murali Kartik, and Deep Dasgupta said they too were in favour of India participating at the eight-nationa tournament.

(Huge loss if India pull out of Champions Trophy 2017: Amla)

Earlier, taking a firm stand over Indian cricket team's participation in the event, the Committee of Administrators (COA) on Thursday (May 4) directed the board to announce Team India for Champions Trophy 2017 'immediately'.

Due to the revenue model feud between the ICC and the BCCI, the Indian cricket body outrightly rejected the world body's offer of an additional USD 100 million in the proposed format and even threatened to pull out of the Champions Trophy.

A livid BCCI didn't announce the squad for Champions Trophy on April 25, which was the ICC deadline. However, the ICC constitution allows countries to name their squads post the deadline under certain circumstances.

However, it remains to be seen how an under-pressure BCCI reacts to this situation.

OneIndia News