New Delhi: As reports of an ongoing rift between Indian skipper Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble have grabbed eyeballs, veterans of the game have expressed their views over the ongoing row.


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Kumble, who has had a successful stint as the coach of the Indian team since taking over from Ravi Shastri last year, is said to have been criticised by senior members of the Indian cricket team for his hard taskmaster approach.


Reacting over the ongoing row, former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar said that a difference of opinion between a coach and the team was nothing new.


"You will never have a situation where the captain and the coach in any country is on the same page. They will always be a little difference of opinion. The coach is invariably someone who belongs to an earlier generation or the just finished generation," Gavaskar said at an event here. 

"So the thought process, the approach, the attitude towards the game is slightly different.

"It might not be something actually happening on the field. It could be something to do with practice sessions or team combinations. I don't think that should be taken too seriously because these discussions are healthy for the team," he added.


While BCCI invited applications for the position of India's coach, veteran offie Harbhajan Singh has backed Kumble saying Indian cricket needs his services.


​"Anil Kumble is strict, you can always talk to him about cricket. He's very hard working and believes that one shouldn't leave the match till the last ball. He's strict but he responds to hard work more than just talent. As a coach, I am sure he's going to bring a lot of good to Indian cricket. One can also see his results of last year," Harbhajan said at the Aaj Tak Salaam Cricket 2017 conclave here.

"Only present players will be able to tell what his relations with Anil bhai are. In my 15 years of playing with him, there has been no instance of any fight with him and he's the best bowling mind in cricket, he's always there to help. He's been brilliant and he has played a major role in making me what I am today and I would like to thank him for that."


The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) last week invited applications for a new head coach as incumbent Kumble's one-year term comes to an end at the end of the ICC Champions Trophy in June.


(With Agency inputs)