Virender Sehwag reveals why he didn't take up India’s head coach post after Anil Kumble

Kumble resigned from head coach job after Champions Trophy 2017 due to tiff with Virat Kohli.

Former India opener Virender Sehwag revealed that he was offered the head coach of the Indian team position after Anil Kumble had resigned from the post due to an alleged tiff with then captain Virat Kohli.

Kumble had taken up the coaching position in 2016 and while things were good for the team initially, he couldn’t get on the same page as captain Virat Kohli and this led to a major tiff between the two. This led to Kumble resigning from his post after the Champions Trophy 2017.

Sehwag in a conversation on the News18 India Chaupal on Monday revealed that he was also offered the position of the Indian team head coach before Ravi Shastri was appointed at the post.

The swashbuckling opener was questioned about not getting the opportunity to captain the Indian team, and subsequently missing out on the coaching job, to which he gave a shocking reply.

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“Not at all, I’m happy with what I achieved. Coming from a small family of farmers from Najafgarh I got the opportunity to play for India, got so much love and appreciation from fans and even if I would have captained Team India I would have gotten the same respect," said Sehwag.

He further said that he wouldn’t have applied for the top job had he not been approached by then BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary.

“I wouldn’t have applied if Virat Kohli and then BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary hadn’t approached me. We had a meeting, and he (Choudhary) told me that things weren’t working out between Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble we want you to take the coaching position. He told that me that Kumble’s contract will expire after the Champions Trophy in 2017 and then you can travel to West Indies with the team," added Sehwag.

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Sehwag said that he had one condition to take up the head coach job and when it wasn’t fulfilled, he refused to take up the opportunity.

“I didn’t say yes or no, but I said if I travel to West Indies, I would want my coaching staff, the assistant coach, bowling coach, batting coach and the fielding coach. I want my own choice for the support staff and I didn’t get that choice so I didn’t travel to West Indies," Sehwag stated further.

(News18 inputs)